Renault must optimize its engine to return to the level

Without the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo at the Australian Grand Prix, Renault would have scored its first podium of the V6 turbo/hybrid era. A result which would undoubtedly have given some comfort to Renault, which appeared to be in difficulty during winter testing. According to Rémi Taffin, the V6s of Viruses are certainly behind their German counterparts, but catching up remains possible.
« It's fair to say we're behind Mercedes on straight lines. It's obvious. Saying it's a full second is difficult, but it's not a tenth, it's closer to a second than a tenth or hundredth. We know we are far from Mercedes and we know what we can achieve for the next race to close the gap, explains the Frenchman. In our Power Unit, we already have the components necessary to achieve this return, it's just a matter of optimizing the whole thing and using the motor at its full power. We need to achieve good reliability and try to make everything work together. »

The best Renault “labeled” driver at the Australian Grand Prix remains Jean-Eric Vergne and his Toro Rosso STR9, 8th.

You can find the analysis of our special correspondents in Australia in issue 1952 of AUTOhebdo, available in digital version and since Wednesday on newsstands.