Renault believe that the Chinese Grand Prix will give a good indication of what to expect from their partnership with Red Bull.
The French manufacturer made huge strides forward between Australia and Malaysia, with Daniel Ricciardo describing it as “night and day” difference.
Renault F1’s operations director Remi Taffin expects further progress before the next race, and combined with Red Bull’s improvements, he reckons the “fun will begin” in China.
“It was a setback for Red Bull,” he told Canal+ “They’re not used to having their cars so far back.
“But we have had only the second race. In neither race has Red Bull been able to show what is really possible, and in Australia the blame was partly ours.
“At Sepang it was better from our side, and we got a taste of what to expect from Red Bull-Renault.”
Whilst he’s predicting big improvements, the team won’t be in a position to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari for race wins yet, but he hinted that it might become a possibility in later races.
“As for us, the season actually began in Malaysia,” he explained. “By China, Red Bull will have solved its problems, and then the fun begins.
“Of course I am not saying that we will win the race, but we have a lot of potential for development, both on the engine and the chassis side,” he added.
“We did not become four times world champion in a row by chance. Red Bull is good at developing a car, and it will pay off sooner or later.”
