Renault are set to bring an upgraded MGU-K to this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix which is expected to deliver greater reliability as well as a performance boost.
The upgrade has suffered several delays which has meant it's been pushed back by more than a year as Renault grappled to get on top of some of the issues related to reliability, but it will finally make its debut in Austria according to Renault Sport boss Cyril Abiteboul, though not all of Renault's customer teams will be running it.
"It’s available for all the cars that want it," Abiteboul told Motorsport. "It’s one that we’ve been long awaiting.
"It happens that not all teams have elected to go to the new spec, which means that they will continue to use the MGU-K of a previous technical definition, with a higher reliability risk.
"But that’s our philosophy, to accept the teams’ choice, having all the information."
Both Renault cars will however run it with Carlos Sainz due a change after his unit failed in the closing laps of the French Grand Prix, costing him sixth place, though he managed to hold onto eighth.
Abiteboul admitted Renault knew the unit was nearing its end, but with the regulations stipulating just two MGU-K's per driver, they had to hold out until the upgraded unit was available to race, which will happen this weekend following its signing off at the factory.
"It’s a part that we know was fragile, it’s a part that we deliberately decided to extend the life of, because we knew that there was a new spec coming up, with better performance, better packaging and with a better reliability level."
The unit is expected to provide a small performance boost as well as being lighter, allowing Renault to be more strategical with its placement of ballast.
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