Mid-season review: Renault, solid foundations now in place for building
Since its return as a constructor in 2016, Renault has modernized its Enstone base and is currently positioned as the fourth force on the grid, with hopes for even better? The arrival of Daniel Ricciardo in 2019 is part of this dynamic.
4th in the constructors’ championship: 82 pts
Renault’s ambition when taking over Team Lotus was clear: to compete for wins and the title within 5 years, around 2020/2021. To achieve this, significant resources (both human and financial) have been invested in the Enstone chassis factory, while radical design changes have been made at Viry-Châtillon where the engine is produced. Meanwhile, the presence of two solid and recognized mid-field drivers, Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz, contributes to the development of the future winning machine Renault aims to become.
Thus, this season was supposed to register a notch above the previous one, with the objective of achieving 4th place in the constructors’ championship, which the diamond brand solidly holds at the mid-season stage. The yellows have seen at least one of their cars finish in the points at each Grand Prix, except in Austria (only Ferrari has done better in this regard). The RS18 chassis seems to be holding its rank, having been designed by a team of engineers full of potential, freshly joined by Marcin Budkowski.
The drivers
Nico Hülkenberg began this year his second season with the team, and it is clear that he is now well established within the team. 7th in the championship at mid-season (his best career ranking in a full season is 9th), he is exploiting a single-seater he helped to develop. It is indeed not uncommon to see the German occupying around the 7th place in the race, behind the leading teams. His mistakes can be counted on one hand, with only his failed weekend in Baku where he ended up twice in the wall being noteworthy. His best performance remains his home Grand Prix in Germany, where he clinched the 5th place at the end of a well-executed race.
His teammate since the 2017 United States Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz, is not far behind. His start to the season was good, in the sense that it was solid. Unlike what was seen at Toro Rosso, the Spaniard seems to have now become more composed in his driving, more mature. While the first few Grand Prix may have seemed slightly below Hülkenberg’s performances, it seems logical as Sainz Jr. needed time to adapt to a new team. From Canada onwards, it appears that the teammates are performing equally in terms of pure performance, which will not be a bad thing if the team wants to secure the 4th place in the championship.
| Head to head… | Score | |
| 1 | In Qualifications | 7-5 for Hülkenberg |
| 2 | In Race | 7-5 for Hülkenberg |
| Driver | Qualifications: number of top 10 | Qualifications: best position | Race: number of top 10 | Race: best position | Number of championship points | |
| 1 | Nico Hülkenberg | 7 | 7th (China / Canada / Germany) | 8 | 5th (Germany) | 52 |
| 2 | Carlos Sainz | 11 | 5th (Hungary) | 8 | 5th (Azerbaijan) | 30 |
The continuation of the season
The team seems well-positioned to continue its momentum, at the front of the midfield pack. The biggest threat could come from Haas, only 16 points behind at mid-season. While the team has the advantage of better utilization of its car and drivers, the American team maintains the advantage of a Ferrari engine that is now considered a benchmark. Ahead, Red Bull, which has the same engine, seems (for the moment?) unreachable, while the beginning-of-season goal was to get closer to the Austrians. To achieve this, it is likely that a good part of the team’s resources will be quickly shifted towards 2019 to continue its climb in the hierarchy.
In this sense, Daniel Ricciardo’s arrival in 2019 should help the Franco-British team reach a new milestone, becoming a team sought after by top drivers and capable of competing at the front. Alongside him, Nico Hülkenberg will benefit from being an established driver within the team, with the familiarity that entails. The possibility of a rivalry with Ricciardo will be an opportunity for the German, potentially giving him a second wind and increased appeal after seemingly getting stuck in mid-field teams following his failed move to Ferrari in 2013. As for Carlos Sainz, his future destination seems to be shaping up between Red Bull and McLaren, depending on the choice of the Austrian company.
We are delighted to announce that @danielricciardo will join @RenaultSportF1 as race driver from 2019. Full report 👉 https://t.co/9LUkd22abr#RSspirit pic.twitter.com/OIXUbjIoRm
— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) 3 août /f1/actualite/22708-exclusif-cyril-abiteboul-nous-sommes-dans-les-temps-de-notre-tableau-de-marche-global-.html
