Renault don’t feel extra pressure to improve following threats by their only customer, Red Bull, to quit the sport should improvements not be found promptly.
Red Bull and Toro Rosso owner Dietrich Mateschitz recently said the team would only remain in the sport if it was competitive, adding that it couldn’t be competitive without a powerful and reliable engine.
It’s just one of many negative comments aimed at Renault which has struggled to adapt to the new hybrid-V6 rules introduced last season.
We’ll only stay in Formula 1 if we have a competitive team, and we need a competitive power unit for that
– Dietrich Mateschitz
Renault’s engine chief Cyril Abiteboul says the threats don’t make for added pressure because they know what they need to do to improve and they have a long-term plan to do so.
“It [the threats] just increase our appetite to win but can it increase the way that we do it? I’m not quite sure as engines are a long-term plan. We don’t want to rush into anything.”
The Frenchman says he fully understands Red Bull’s frustrations, adding that he’d like to see more support from the Milton Keynes outfit as negative comments won’t help develop an engine.
“There is no issue with Red Bull in the sense they are a team that wants to be successful and has big ambitions,” he added. “We understand why they are frustrated.
“It is all about understanding each other’s philosophy, issues and supporting each other rather than trying to drag each other down.
“It’s not a short-term project and we can work with each other.”
