2017 Report – Renault: Progress in the Middle of the Pack

6th in the championship, 57pts

Best qualification: 5th

Best race result: 6th

Renault started this year its true first season as an official team with an R.S.17 designed for the first time 100% by the Enstone workshops since the brand’s return. Indeed, the 2016 car was just an adaptation of the 2015 Lotus to accommodate a Renault engine. The team’s ambitions were clearly stated at the beginning of the year by its director, Cyril Abiteboul himself, with a goal of fifth place in the constructors’ championship.

The season begins quite challenging with the first point only scored at the third race in Bahrain, with a car that performs well in qualifying but struggles to confirm that the next day in the race. However, it’s at this point in the season that reliability issues start to trouble the team, preventing them from scoring points on several occasions. This doesn’t stop Renault from introducing a major evolution in the chassis and floor for Nico Hülkenberg starting from the British Grand Prix. The main goal is to make the French cars more effective in long race stints. This finally provides the solid foundation the team was waiting for to consistently introduce efficient upgrades. Indeed, it allows engineers to better understand the R.S.17, which had quite a mysterious behavior at the start of the campaign.

By mid-season, we can see significant progress of the car overall compared to 2016. But it’s also quickly understood that the goal of finishing fifth in the championship set by management cannot be met due to too many retirements and Renault’s inability to get both of its cars into the points. The problem also lies with Jolyon Palmer, who can’t score any points in the championship, which severely impacts the financial results.

Behind the scenes, the restructuring of the Enstone factory continues with the hiring of numerous employees as well as the updating of software and machines used. The recruitment of Marcin Budkowski, former director of the FIA’s F1 technical department, should also be mentioned among the hires. This will indeed create a strong controversy since he was responsible for approving the technical developments made by all the teams within the institution. Faced with the outcry, Renault and the FIA will ultimately reach an agreement to postpone his arrival to the next season.

The brand with the diamond logo will finally settle for aiming for sixth place in the constructors’ championship, facing the threat of being caught by Toro Rosso or Haas. It is quite easy to see that securing this sixth place was experienced as a relief by all team members in Abu Dhabi.

The 2018 single-seater might prove to be very different from this year’s. The team’s chief engineers believe that it’s not possible to make a significant step forward with the current base. On the engine side, the team from Viry-Châtillon has already announced that their focus will be more than ever on the reliability of the power unit, both during the winter and the upcoming season.

Editorial Note: 12/20

Nico Hülkenberg:

10th in the championship, 43 pts

Best qualification: 5th

Best race result: 6th

The former Williams, Sauber, and Force India driver had clearly been recruited for the 2017 season as the designated leader to help Renault start a new era. The German was not necessarily Renault’s first choice, as management had previously begun discussions with Sergio Pérez, who ultimately extended with Force India. The other candidate was Carlos Sainz, whom Red Bull refused to release from his contract.

The role of Hülkenberg is also to be the technical leader of the team in order to best guide the necessary developments. Quite quickly into the season, it becomes apparent that he exploits the car’s potential rather well, compared to Jolyon Palmer who is unable to score points and is largely beaten in qualifying. He regularly brings in points starting from Bahrain but increasingly sees reliability issues spoiling good results. In Singapore, while he could have competed for the podium and stepped up there for the first time in his career, an engine problem prevents him. Subsequently, he is a victim of a difficult streak between the Japanese Grand Prix and the Mexican Grand Prix with three retirements in three races.

Overall, he makes very few mistakes aside from an accident in Azerbaijan where he clearly makes a misjudgment. In comparison, Nico Hülkenberg literally outperforms Jolyon Palmer both in races and in qualifying, and against Carlos Sainz, he is only beaten once out of four races and four qualifying sessions.

It has therefore been a rather successful first year both in terms of performance and the very professional contribution he brings to the French team. If Renault manages to progress in the hierarchy, next season could be a good test for the German to assess his level of performance. With Carlos Sainz having had time to acclimate to the team, the duel could prove interesting and allow for a better gauge of his performance level against a stronger teammate than Jolyon Palmer.

Editor’s Note: 15/20

Jolyon Palmer:

17th in the championship, 8 pts

Best qualification: 10th

Best race result: 6th

The least that can be said is that the 2017 season was quite difficult for the Brit, who was entering his second season in Formula 1. The performance difference compared to his teammate quickly became apparent, with an inability to beat him in qualifications throughout the entire season. In races, while Nico Hülkenberg managed to consistently score points, the Brit repeatedly finished outside the points and in eleventh place on Sundays. Unfortunately, he only managed to score points once in Singapore, which was far from enough to hold a comparison.

To be fair and objective with Palmer, it must be remembered that on certain weekends, reliability issues and engine penalties nullified his chances. Without this recurring bad luck, he might have been able to compete for points more regularly, which wouldn’t have saved his record but might have made it less negative.

Quite early in the season, his position as a starting driver at Renault seemed increasingly threatened due to performances with no progress. He had the merit of not trying to create a bad atmosphere in the garage or stir controversy given the lack of support he had in the second half of the season. For several consecutive weekends, it almost seemed certain that he wouldn’t race the next one, but he ultimately held his position until the United States Grand Prix and the conclusion of Carlos Sainz’s loan to Renault.

His replacement logically marks the end of his career in the category, although the Williams track was mentioned at one point but quickly dismissed. Unfortunately, he never managed to prove that he had the driving level required for Formula 1. It is not excluded that he might bounce back in another category fairly quickly, thanks to his father’s network and the assistance Renault has promised to provide to help him find a position. The few programs in which Renault is involved could complicate his task, but his stint in Formula 1 should work in his favor in finding a position in a less renowned category.

Editor’s rating: 8/20

Carlos Sainz:

9th in the championship, 54 pts (6)

Best qualification: 6th

Best race result: 4th

The Spaniard joined Renault from Toro Rosso starting at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. This followed an agreement between Renault and Red Bull for the one-season loan of their protégé, whom the program can choose to reintegrate in 2019, should Daniel Ricciardo leave.

His first meeting is a success because he manages to outqualify his teammate and finishes the race in seventh position. It quickly becomes apparent that the rivalry between Sainz and Hülkenberg is positive, as it seems to push the German much more than his pairing with Palmer. Even though he is beaten in the only race he manages to finish with his teammate, the rapport between the two drivers seems to be quite good. He could have participated in Renault’s celebration for the sixth place in the championship if he hadn’t been a victim of a poorly secured wheel during a pit stop. He reacted very well to this incident by trying to focus on the positives from previous races.

These four experience races could prove very useful next season to avoid needing an adaptation period to perform well. Knowing his environment and the people he works with will be much easier next season. This promises an interesting duel against Nico Hülkenberg, who will be keen to remain the undisputed leader of the French team.

His retention in the team beyond next season will not depend solely on his performances but also on Daniel Ricciardo’s wishes to extend with Red Bull or to leave its fold. In any case, it is almost certain that his medium-term future is assured.

Editor’s note: 13/20