Renault are ready to take grid penalties in the remaining five races of the season after admitting a sixth engine is a near certainty for most of its customers.
At present, almost half the grid have reached the maximum on at least one component. Renault however have so far been the worst hit with Daniil Kvyat taking a penalty for using a sixth engine, whilst Red Bull have confirmed Sebastian Vettel will have to do the same soon.
“Reliability will start to play a major role in results at this point in the season since every team and driver has had to mix and match as we have learnt more on the operation of the power unit,” said Renault’s Remi Taffin.
“We are however fairly at ease on this front since we have committed ourselves to introduce a sixth power unit where needed. The picture is a lot clearer now and although not exactly ideal to have to introduce new parts and take penalties, we can do this at races where the impact will be minimised.”
It’s likely new components will be used at the Japanese Grand Prix due to its demanding nature according to Taffin, which could see several drivers taking penalties.
“Due to the strain on each part, we will, where possible, introduce new components for this race,” he explained. “We believe Suzuka will be a good challenge, but one that we are looking forward to with no worries.”
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