Renault hopes for progress with upgrade
Renault is optimistic a big aerodynamic upgrade for this weekend's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix will improve its R30's performance with team principal Eric Boullier hopeful the team starts the season not too far off the top teams.
Although the former world champion squad showed solid midfield, rather than clear front-running, pace across the four pre-season tests, new star driver Robert Kubica thinks it has made good progress since the opening test and that the Sakhir overhaul should bring a further decent step forward.
It's difficult to judge performance, but we're heading in the right direction, he said.
We also haven't run with all our new updates yet and there is another aero upgrade for Bahrain, which we hope will match the wind tunnel predictions and improve performance.
Overall, it seems that all the top teams are quite close, but some have definitely hidden their full potential during testing and will also have more updates for Bahrain.
So far, I think Ferrari and Mercedes look very strong.
The new-look Renault team comes into the season desperate to banish the memories of its dismal 2009, when it slumped to eighth place in the constructors' standings and became embroiled in the damaging Crashgate' scandal.
Frenchman Boullier, who was installed as team principal following Genii Capital's majority takeover of the team, agrees with the general consensus that the testing picture was hard to read but says that Renault at least was satisfied with the approach it took to the winter and is hopeful it results in the R30 being within striking distance of the expected front-running cars.
It has been very tough to understand and unpick the details of winter testing and how we compare with the other teams because we don't know what approach they have taken, Boullier said.
We took a decision to run with heavy fuel at every test because we believed this was the best way to understand and improve the car.
In terms of outright performance, I hope we are close to the top four teams.
However, rather than setting any lofty targets for his first race at the helm, Boullier would be pleased with a solid opening weekend.
"I certainly have a dream result in mind, but I need to balance my expectations with reality," he said.
"If we can have both cars qualify in the top 10 and finish the race, that would be a great way to start the season.
With the Enstone-based squad looking likely to start the season in the midfield, Kubica added that his new team must consistently make improvements to the R30 if it is to re-establish itself at the very front of Formula 1.
It will be a long season and our goal must be to develop faster than our competitors, he said.
There was a big gap to make up at the end of 2009 so we will have to take two steps forward if we want to catch the top teams. Performance is what we need it's always the best medicine.
Date published : 08 Mar 2010 - 17:23:32
