Renault have confirmed they are working with engine expert Mario Illien to fast-track progress on their V6-Hybrid engine for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Illien played a key role in helping Mercedes develop its championship winning engine during the 1990’s, but now focuses on IndyCar and MotoGP engines.
With Renault struggling to close the performance gap to Mercedes last season, they drafted in Illien as a consultant in the hope his experience and expertise can help them reduce that gap this and next year.
LIMITED DEVELOPMENT
The amount an engine manufacturer can change gradually decreases year-by-year, therefore making it harder to play catch-up.
2015 – 50% (32 ‘tokens’)
2016 – 41% (26 ‘tokens’)
2017 – 32% (20 ‘tokens’)
2018 – 23% (15 ‘tokens’)
“I very much see Mario’s company as an opportunity to bring additional knowledge,” explained Renault F1’s managing director Cyril Abiteboul to Autosport.
“A wealth of knowledge, experience and to short cut, because we will have, in the next few weeks, to make important decisions not for 2015 but for 2016.”
Abiteboul says it’s crucial they have the best engine by the end of the season as the development rules get tighter and tighter with each passing year and therefore the scope to develop them and change parts becomes less and less.
“[Illien] is an external support; it is not an internal support. It is a company and it is a supplier and it is part of Renault’s road map to progress.
“If you look at 2016, it is absolutely a crucial year,” added the Frenchman. “According to the current regulations it is really the year where you need to have the right package.
“[If you don’t] you are in a bad situation not just for one year but for many years. That is why the milestones we are about to get for 2016 are particularly important.”
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