Formula 1 returns to action in Belgium this week and Motorsport Week has been evaluating some of the primary talking points for the second half of the season. The latest deals with decisions which need to be taken at Renault and Toro Rosso…
What will Renault, and Toro Rosso, decide for 2018?
Renault could barely find a driver willing to race for the team for 2017, but this year it has a wealth of options, with the squad on the slow road back to the front of the Formula 1 grid. The most fascinating development has been the emergence of Robert Kubica from anonymity to testing Renault’s 2017 car in the space of just a few months. The story is already extraordinary, and his outing in Hungary – in which he displayed encouraging pace and mileage – was not a PR gimmick, but a proper evaluation. However, a comeback is by no means a certainty, and should Renault opt for a different direction, it has Carlos Sainz Jr. in its sights. Acquiring the Spaniard’s services would require a hefty sum to be transferred to Red Bull, but for Renault it would result in having a young, hungry racer, while Sainz Jr. would be able to demonstrate his skills outside of the Red Bull umbrella and prove that his calls for a leading seat were justified. The decision of Renault’s management could also have an influence on Toro Rosso. Should it pursue Sainz Jr. – and Red Bull are accepting to Renault’s advances – then a vacancy opened at Toro Rosso will be filled by Pierre Gasly. Should Sainz Jr. stay, then Gasly still stands a chance of a seat. Separate factions within Red Bull hold different views over Daniil Kvyat, who has severely underperformed in races this year. If Sainz Jr. stays, would there be a burning desire to retain Kvyat as well, or would it be better to evaluate Gasly and see how he fares in the cut and thrust of Formula 1?
…and how will both fare in intriguing midfield battle?
Renault and Toro Rosso are both factors in a scrap for fifth position in the standings, behind runaway fourth-placers Force India. Williams (41), Toro Rosso (39), Haas (29), an improving Renault (26) and even a resurgent McLaren (11) stand a chance of taking fifth position, having all enjoyed a weekend or two leading the charge. A large chunk of Williams’ points came with its Baku rostrum, while both Toro Rosso and Renault have been over-reliant on one driver; Haas, meanwhile, reckons it can double its current tally. Each team has its strengths and weaknesses and must capitalise on the former and limit the latter where required – some have been better at accomplishing the feat than others. It is not a battle which enthrals the masses by any stretch of the imagination, but the midfield jostling – witness the Nico Hülkenberg/Kevin Magnussen angst in Hungary – can still boil over and provide some engaging sub-plots.
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