Renault head into the opening race of the season in Australia with many unknowns; whether their power unit can complete a race distance; whether it meets the strict fuel consumption requirements; and whether it’s competitive in terms of performance.
It’s no surprise that the manufacturer is anxious then, particularly when those teams running Mercedes units have completed multiple race simulations, whilst the Renault-powered teams have struggled to even complete half of one.
Deputy managing director Rob White is hopeful that the issues will be resolved ahead of the race and says they’ve come a long way since the Jerez test in February.
“We can’t escape the fact that we did not complete the entire programme with all the teams and that some Melbourne preparations are incomplete,” he admitted.
“On the up-side, we have done some of everything, with simulations of qualifying sessions, starts, race distances and long stints and it is fair to say that once again we have made some real progress [since Jerez].”
He did however admit there were some nerves ahead of the first race and said it would be a “great relief” if they could run reliably in Melbourne in just two weeks time.
“Melbourne will be an anxious weekend!
“Conducting a normal race weekend, in which both cars run well during each session for every team, would be a great relief.”
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