Renault: Red Bull expects improvements on the V6
Red Bull should benefit, according to Autosport, from significant improvements on its Renault V6 during the next two races, which could better suit the RB10, and thus give Mercedes, currently dominating Formula 1, a run for their money.
During the three-week break, Renault worked on its engines. Having already returned to a reasonable level after pre-season testing and a challenging start to the year, the Viry-Châtillon engine manufacturer is expected to offer interesting developments as early as the Spanish Grand Prix, which, combined with the Red Bull RB10 chassis, could mark a turning point in the Formula 1 battle.
Furthermore, the circuits of Barcelona and then Monaco are tracks where engine power plays a slightly lesser role compared to Bahrain, for example. Enough to be optimistic? Not yet, Rémi Taffin, head of track operations for Renault F1, expressed in the columns of Autosport: «I wouldn’t say it’s optimism, because we are still in realism. But it’s fair to say that the upcoming Grand Prix, in Barcelona or Monaco, are not extremely sensitive to engine power. They are sensitive to energy, so during the race it will always be important to have the hybrid block working well. »
He believes that the Renault hybrid V6 will soon be able to deliver its full potential without facing issues: « Before Montreal, we want to have something that is very close to 100%. Overall, it looks promising. But we must not forget reliability. However, I think Renault has never been as focused as we are on reliability. »
A step-by-step progression in various fields
Even if the engines have been approved, effectively freezing structural modifications, the door remains open for software modifications, which are currently predominant, even if hardware changes remain possible: « Performance comes from software evolution, and a bit from hardware. »
« If we solve some problems […] on the V6, then you might be able to get a bit more out of it. If you unlock something, it gives you a double or triple effect. That’s how power units work today, » he explains.
But areas like fuel or lubricants could prove crucial as the 2014 Formula 1 season progresses: « There’s more than just the turbo V6 and electric to achieve performance. We can talk about the oil, and we can discuss the fuel. We always have good work ongoing with Total at the fuel level, so there’s really a lot to come. »
