Renault Sport F1 must find a solution before Bahrain

While the V6 Mercedes completed 875 laps at Jerez (with four teams) and the engines Ferrari traveled 444 loops, the 1.6l turbo/hybrid of Renault covered only 151 laps following multiple mechanical problems occurring at Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Caterham (Lotus opted out of testing). The Taureau Rouge single-seaters only did very limited running while Kamui Kobayashi lined up the laps at reduced speed in the last day... until the CT05 was plagued by problems.

If the situation seems worrying for the teams powered by the Renault V6, the Losange has two weeks to rectify the situation and improve the reliability of the 1.6l block before the Bahrain tests. “The cause is not unique, it is not a particular element of the system that causes problems”, explains Rob White, the managing director of the technical department of Renault Sport F1. “The concerns mainly focus on the control and operation of the engine subsystems installed in the car. For example, we encountered problems on the first day with the Energy Store (energy recovery system) which did not directly concern the battery, but it was an electronic element which was in the same compartment. We then had problems with the turbo and boost control systems which caused mechanical failures. »

Renault Sport F1 cannot hide its surprise, the Renault V6 having been tested intensively on the test benches of Viruses-Châtillon. “Between the first and second day, with the help of Red Bull, we installed an advanced version of hardware for the rest of the tests in order to resolve the Energy Store problem. In parallel with the tests, Viry continued the tests on the bench in order to investigate the incidents that occurred on the track and provide solutions. We have identified the probable cause of the major problems with the turbo. We thought the initial configuration (of the V6) was a robust starting point for track testing but that was not the case. However, we carried out numerous tests on the bench in the same configurations, encountering only minor problems. We now know that the differences between the bench and the track are greater than expected. We are very frustrated with this series of issues that should have been resolved on the bench and which deprived us of a valuable learning opportunity. »

Renault Sport F1 will now roll up its sleeves for the Bahrain tests where the Losange V6s will be closely observed. Viry-Châtillon still has two weeks ahead of it to analyze the problems and improve the reliability of the 1.6l turbo/hybrid. “We have an increased work list for Bahrain and many things to test that we should have worked on in Jerez,” continues Rob White. “The next step is to identify the source of these problems, to develop solutions to consolidate our validation process in order to approach the Bahrain session with confidence. »