Renault says having all six of the cars that it powers scoring points at the Australian Grand Prix validates its decision to prioritise reliability during the off-season.
Renault has frequently struggled to balance performance and reliability in the hybrid era, and suffered a spate of issues in the closing events of 2017.
As a consequence Renault opted to work on its reliability over the winter, its decision facilitated by Formula 1’s reduction in the number of permitted components, before adding performance later on.
At the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the six cars with Renault power units finished between fourth and 10th, its run interrupted by eighth-placed interloper Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes).
It marked the first time since 1986 that six Renault-powered cars classified inside the top 10 at a race, prompting Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul to hail the step forward.
“It’s a satisfying result, not perfect by any means, but it shows we’re in line with our targets of making progress,” he said.
“Clearly, for a good result, everything must be smooth, from pit-stops to reliability and this finish illustrates a solid start to the season.
“Our focus on reliability has been illustrated with all Renault-powered cars finishing inside the top 10, which is a good positive.
“We know it’s going to be extra tight in the midfield battle, and that motivates us to keep working hard.”
Nico Hulkenberg was the lead representative from Renault’s factory operation as he took seventh position.
“We should be pretty happy,” he said. “The pace of the car was strong and competitive, but we know we still have a lot of work to do.
“I’m happy with how the weekend has progressed, Friday wasn’t great for me, but we’ve turned it into a decent result and a satisfying Sunday.
“We got lucky with retirements, but also unlucky with the Safety Car, but that’s racing and taking six points home is a just reward for the team’s hard work.”
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