Renault believes it has good control over its R.S. 18

The loss of driving time during the day on Friday for Renault Sport F1 Team, following a problem linked to the gearbox of the car de Carlos Sainz, don’t worry the French clan.

The R.S. 18 above all brings a first positive feeling to its creators, particularly in relation to the RS. 17 of last year. After the change in technical regulations effective in 2017, Renault was able to count on the experience acquired over twelve months, with a 2018 car which is an evolution of its predecessor.

“We are ending encouraging trials, says Cyril Abiteboul, director of Renault Sport Racing. We were able to complete almost our entire program over the two weeks with several notable successes to our credit, such as the new record for laps completed in one day in Barcelona.

We feel like we have a good handle on the car and it’s a big step forward compared to last year.. However, we have to wait for Australia to place ourselves in the hierarchy. »

The problem encountered last Friday was in fact linked to a sensor, but caused the French team to lose a lot of time at the start of the season where the production of the elements making up the single-seaters is not yet at its maximum.

“With the complexity of today's cars, it sometimes takes time to resolve small problems, recalls Abiteboul. We had to rebuild the box with a limited number of spare parts. It’s a shame to end two very productive weeks like this, but we can approach the rest and Melbourne with serenity. »

A serenity also displayed by Carlos Sainz, visibly encouraged by the last turns of the wheels of the R.S. 18, pushed to a higher tempo. “It was a mostly frustrating day for the team and I, but it didn’t tarnish our productive week of testing in Barcelona, puts the Spanish into perspective.

In the last hours we were able to work on performance with the softer tires and the car looked good. In a sense, it is better to have this worry today rather than pay the price during the year. »