Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, Circuit de Catalunya, 2019

Renault has ‘done its homework’ on 2019 engine

RaceFans Round-up

13th March 2019, 0:0124th March 2019, 22:34 | Written by Keith Collantine

In the round-up: Renault believes it is starting to seeing the gains from its power unit concept having evolved the same concept from last season.

What they say

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Renault’s engine technical director Remi Taffin was asked whether the team was feeling greater pressure from rival power unit manufacturers:

First I think the only pressure we’ve got is the pressure from our company. We look to ourself first and we had homework to be done.
We have, as I say, set a high target which we’re trying to meet on the other side of the Channel. Whether the rest of the people is doing a good job I’m pretty sure they would be doing the job but I think we’re happy with what we are. We also keep on developing through the year. So I think that the pressure is just the pressure we put on ourself and we have to put some pressure and that’s why we are here.
The way we did develop for this year is no different to what we did for last year. I think this is now a year or two we are we are discussing these things but sometimes we need some more time to develop. And I know one thing we have kept on this is some concept that we had for the last 18 months and it started to deliver and we feel that we will be delivering more and more. /blockquote>

Quotes: Dieter Rencken

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Comment of the day

Will longer-lasting tyres make for better races this year?

Hopefully they last longer than last year’s tyre. It was awful watching tyres that were designed to do a two-stop race were forced to do a one-stop race most of the time.
On the other hand, I wonder if the gap in degradation is still big enough to allow B-teams attempting a fastest lap if their parent team asks for it. Assuming teams who entered Q3 only have a set of fresh tyre while the remaining half have a couple or so like last year, the Q3 teams will have no answer when the smaller teams pit for the second or third time to nail that fastest lap.
It’s a bit of a stretch but I’m really excited for the race on Sunday
Abe (@Okeptl)

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Author information

Keith Collantine

Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
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29 comments on “Renault has ‘done its homework’ on 2019 engine”

JohnH (@johnrkh)
13th March 2019, 0:39
Well in a few days we will see what progress Renault has made in comparison to RB. Melbourne is not a good circuit for overtaking so qualies will be more important. If RB are slow to start the season, Hondas reliability with power is yet to be proven. Hopefully Renault will be there to take advantage of any slip ups.
Also HAAS look good as well, Alfa I can’t say but I would put them behind HAAS.
Tyre wear on the Mercs may be an problem if they have not sorted out there issues with the thinner tread tyres.
1. Cranberry
  13th March 2019, 18:07
  I wholeheartedly wish for Red Bull and Renault to be “mirror images” competitive this year. Red Bull has the better chassis, Renault has it in the power train. Lets see Horner and Abiteboul send their Gladiators to “Fight for The Constructor’s Supremacy”.
  Finally, their war will be more than just underhanded comments in the media.
Alain
13th March 2019, 1:15
Story of the season is Kubica, no matter how it turns out, hes an absolute legend!
1. SPIDERmaN (@spiderman)
  13th March 2019, 14:21
  legend… not really sure about that
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
13th March 2019, 1:56
The second story is Ricciardo’s choice to move on from the toxic beverage dispensing team. Agree with Hill. Max is the anointed one at RBR. No point sticking around for the weaker parts and strategies, even at a seemingly stronger team.
The fairy tale ending would see DannyRic win the Driver’s crown before Max. Maybe Renault will re-channel their inner mass damper and challenge for wins sooner than expected.
Not sure Gasly has the temperament to be a #2. If it doesn’t work out, maybe they could lure Massa back to F1.
1. Ross
  13th March 2019, 5:27
  I’m with you regarding Gasly, given his manner last year I have high doubts that himself and Max will be a harmonious duo. Especially given Gasly is older than Max and will undoubtedly see himself as at least on equal footing and not as a junior to, maybe if he was in a car against Vettel or Hamilton it might be different, but this could very well turn out to be a poison chalice for Gasly. It will be an interesting dynamic to see unfold, especially if there are any on track moments like Baku last year, Gasly doesn’t strike me as the type of driver that will keep his cool in front of the press after such a moment.
  1. Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
    13th March 2019, 7:33
    Agree with you both here.
    I suspect that Max and Danny got along together mainly because Dan is such a laid back guy.
    If the car is race winning materiel this season (and it should be) then I can’t see Gasly deferring to or playing support to Max. He just doesn’t strike me as that kind of guy, and we all know that Max can be “a touch” hot headed and aggressive.
    I really can see Max losing the plot if Gasly starts to outperform/challenge him.
    1. Lauri (@f1lauri)
      13th March 2019, 22:33
      It was quite interesting from NetFlix docu how Max went to explain his fighting moves with Ocon to Ric. Trying to get Ric’s approval for his bad-bad actions. So Max surely respects Ric. No Max is highly paid and senior in the team. This will surely make him boil over sooner or later this year…
Phylyp (@phylyp)
13th March 2019, 3:32
A good example of how the official F1 website does PR, not journalism. In this case, avoiding any mention of Mission Winnow in this story: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.ferrari-to-race-with-90th-anniversary-livery-in-australia.255xTL5cQdTlvTIq7Tao5P.html
I’d be surprised by anyone expecting the F1 site to provide journalistic content – it is after all the corporate site for F1/FOM. No different from PMI’s site putting a positive spin on anything smoking related, etc.
1. Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
  13th March 2019, 4:17
  @phylyp: So…you’re saying that FOM is at the bidding of PMI…interesting.
  1. Phylyp (@phylyp)
    13th March 2019, 4:22
    @jimmi-cynic – no, I’m saying FOM keeps their site free of controversy detrimental to F1. It would not look good for them to report that one of their participant teams was under investigation in Australia for smoking-related branding.
    1. Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
      13th March 2019, 4:49
      @phylyp: Too late to butt out. I’ve swept you into a RaceFans controversy. ;-)
      No matter the non-mention of the loss of the Wishing Minnows branding, FOM, by agreement with the FIA, supports the ban on tobacco advertising in F1, will feel the hot coals of our non-journalistic outrage. Unless the FIA no longer supports the ban, then we’re stuck rolling our own tobacco-free theories.
      1. Phylyp (@phylyp)
        13th March 2019, 4:52
        @jimmi-cynic – LOL.
        Also “Wishing Minnows” – after reading that, it took me far too many seconds to recall the original tagline :)
2. F1oSaurus (@)
  13th March 2019, 6:50
  It’s a two sentence press release. On an F1 company site indeed clearly made to promote F1 and it’s teams. Why would they even mention the previous logo?
  I’d rather call constant hammering on tiny negative aspects of teams, “propaganda”. For instance this site has had at least two dozen articles mentioning the mission-winnow logo over the last few months alone. Talk about having an agenda!
  Besides, if they had added something like “to replace the mission-winnow logo” would it all have been all golden? Or is it just a case of lamenting the missed opportunity of yet another article about mission-winnow.
  1. nase
    13th March 2019, 10:09
    @f1osaurus
    Completely agree with you on this. It reeks of campaigning, which adds another layer of inappropriateness to the “this is not journalism” reproach, because campaigning for or against certain teams isn’t journalism, either.
ColdFly (@)
13th March 2019, 8:17
Why would they even mention the previous logo?
Would be good practice though.
I expect them from now on to reference the Earth Car when talking about Mercedes ;)
1. Chris Lloyd (@chrisr1718)
  13th March 2019, 13:16
  Wasn’t that Honda though, not Mercedes.
  1. Phylyp (@phylyp)
    13th March 2019, 13:37
    Honda -> Brawn -> Merc @chrisr1718 @coldfly
    F1 is incestuous, when you look at it 😁
    1. Chris Lloyd (@chrisr1718)
      13th March 2019, 14:29
      But weren’t they talking about a change of logo on a Ferrari. You wouldn’t expect to see Honda sponsoring Mercedes.
      I think your analogy has a slight flaw
      1. Chris Lloyd (@chrisr1718)
        13th March 2019, 14:31
        Or perhaps we should refer to the Stewart Red Bull…
      2. Chris Lloyd (@chrisr1718)
        13th March 2019, 14:44
        Sorry @phylyp it wasn’t you analogy it was @coldfly
      3. ColdFly (@)
        13th March 2019, 16:17
        @chrisr1718, always beware of sarcasm when reading my comments (or those by @phylyp and a few others); the wink at the end often gives it away.
        PS wanted to refer to the Stewart – Red Bull, but not sure many would get it if mentioning HSBC.
      4. Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
        13th March 2019, 19:03
        @coldfly: I’m insulted that you’d dare to assume that many of us wouldn’t get the HSBC connection. F1 is financially-engineered for money laundering, money wasting or money burning. F1 and HSBC have a Rich heritage to protect. ;-)
GongTong (@gongtong)
13th March 2019, 8:23
Sensible fans don’t go to the official site for their news. I’m fact, the only reason I ever go there is for the countdown to the next session so I don’t mess up with local time etc.
Maybe that’s why their survey of fans re. Points for FL was somewhat contradictory to this site’s…
1. Jere (@jerejj)
  13th March 2019, 8:49
  @gongtong The primary reason for me to use the official site is the live timing, but I occasionally use it for the news as well, mainly for the pre-race weekend quotes and the digital version of the official race program of any given GP (whenever that’s posted there.)
2. Phylyp (@phylyp)
  13th March 2019, 9:25
  the only reason I ever go there is for the countdown to the next session so I don’t mess up with local time
  @gongtong – LOL, seconded!
  1. GongTong (@gongtong)
    15th March 2019, 13:17
    @jerejj @phylyp I do apologise, I forgot about live timing.
    I think maybe subconsciously I’d forgotten we still had it. DO we still have it this year? Or is it now only a paid ap? Or did I imagine that?
    1. Jere (@jerejj)
      15th March 2019, 15:16
      @gongtong Yes, it’s still available on the official website as well as before, so no change on that front.
Jere (@jerejj)
13th March 2019, 8:53
I thoroughly agree with Hill.
Regarding the COTD: I also agree with it except for ”Hopefully they last longer than last year’s tyre” part. The durability wasn’t really the problem, though, but rather the difficulty of following. That’s the primary reason for the many occasions when teams opted to stretch for a one-stop instead of two.