The 2016 season is likely to be “difficult” for Renault F1
Renault has still not officially acquired Lotus. Such a delay inevitably hampers the development of next year's single-seater, leading Pastor Maldonado to say that the 2016 season is likely to be "difficult" for the new French team.
The official announcement of Lotus’s acquisition by Renault has been delayed by several weeks and is now expected for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. These delays will certainly have consequences on the development of the 2016 car, as Pastor Maldonado himself admitted.
The Venezuelan driver, who will driver for the Enstone team again in 2016, acknowledges that next year will be difficult. We know it. It will be our first year [with Renault], but we must learn from each other and try to deliver a solid performance.
An alliance between Renault and Lotus, however, is enough to make the former Williams employee optimistic: « I think we have tremendous potential at the factory. We might need to have more staff, just to cover a few more departments. We have all the necessary tools. (…) In the past, I worked a lot with Renault, we had good relations and we can fortunately start winning again. »
He finally believes in the progress of the Renault engine, despite the disappointment surrounding the advanced version of the engine, introduced in Brazil on Daniel Ricciardo’s car: « Currently, the Mercedes engine is better, but Renault is getting closer and improving constantly. At the start of the season, I remember overtaking Toro Rossos or Red Bulls in the middle of straights. Now, it’s not easy » assured Pastor Maldonado, who benefited this season from a Mercedes power unit on his Lotus.
According to a term dear to Guy Ligier, Renault is therefore preparing to experience a “transition season” next year.
