Fred Vasseur is seeking a return to the points for his Renault Sport Formula 1 Team this weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and believes the team have it in them to do impressive things.
The Team Principal of the Enstone-based team is impressed with the Mexican Grand Prix facilities and racetrack, and believes that drivers Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer can fight for good positions both in qualifying and in the race.
“For all of us, points are the target, as ever,” said Vasseur. “For our engineers and drivers, maximising the use of the tyres and making the most of our potential are the particular goals.
“For our drivers, it’s having fast and consistent performances in qualifying and the race. The Mexican Grand Prix is an impressive event so we want to see impressive performances from everyone involved.”
Vasseur continues to be realistic with the potential of the 2016 Renault, with only eight points scored in the first eighteen races, but he believes the team have improved as a unit during the season, and feels next year’s car will be a much more competitive beast.
“At the start of the season we realised that our potential would be limited by the development we could realistically put on the R.S.16,” admitted Vasseur. “The basis of the package had not moved forward significantly from 2015 so we would always be fighting the tide.
“However we did think we could make big gains in doing the best by optimising operations. We have improved in all areas: tyre management, race operations, strategy and also in pit stops. Our mechanics have worked very hard in tough conditions and have had the energy to solidly improve. You can see it in the results and it will continue to pay off next year.
“Next year we clearly should have a more competitive car; this year is about getting to a place where we are confident to maximise our full potential.”
