Renault aims to "fully match" Red Bull by 2019
The Renault Formula 1 team wants to match customer squads McLaren and Red Bull by 2019, as the French manufacturer builds towards its ultimate ambition of becoming world champion again.
Renault improved from ninth to sixth in the F1 constructors' championship in 2017, but finished more than 300 points behind Red Bull, which won three races and scored 13 podiums.
Renault's best results were five top-six finishes.
The Renault chassis improved dramatically through the season, ending it as the fourth quickest, but Red Bull's performance exposed a substantial remaining deficit and McLaren is also expected to leapfrog Renault in 2018 after ditching Honda.
Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul expects his customer teams to be ahead this season, but wants the gap closed during the campaign and obliterated for the next.
"We know we have a substantial deficit to Red Bull in terms of chassis – in terms of aerodynamics and mechanical platform," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.
"We know Red Bull very well and that's a fantastic benchmark. I think they have one of the best chassis if not the best chassis out there right now – we'll see what they come up with.
"McLaren is a bit more of an unknown for us, because they had a different chassis and a different engine, different drivers, so it's very difficult to compare. It will be an interesting benchmark.
"I think in terms of overall capacities, in the course of this year we should be able to match them.
"Having said that, they are very stable organisations, which are very well structured, very well organised, very well funded.
"We are still a work in progress, we are still growing up and still in the process of building our own team.
"I think it's not before 2019 that we can be in a position to fully match them, even if I would like to see a very small gap between us and them in the process this year."
When asked whether that meant Renault was aiming for a minimum of fifth place in the 2018 championship, Abiteboul replied: "We will confirm our sporting target when we present our car, but clearly it has to be in that direction."
Previous article
Insight: F1 Wind tunnel technology reaches amazing new levels
Next article
Alonso first to drive 2018 McLaren in testing
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Teams | Renault F1 Team |
| Author | Ben Anderson |
How Do Drivers Stay Fit For F1 Grand Prix?
Ronnie Peterson and Jochen Rindt Tribute
#ThinkingForward with Juan Pablo Montoya
The themes to watch in F1's Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. Ben Anderson looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his teammate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen's emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber teammate's own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here's how Nick Heidfeld's career was chilled by the Iceman.
