Cyril Abiteboul hopes to see the works Renault Sport Formula 1 Team be a match to Aston Martin Red Bull Racing by the 2019 season, but hopes this season will see the gap between the two teams substantially reduce.
The team boss of the Enstone-based team admits there is work to be done in order to close the deficit they have compared to Red Bull in the aerodynamic department, with that deficit made more evident due to both teams using the same power unit.
Renault will also provide engines to the McLaren F1 Team this season, and Abiteboul admits that they will need to use the Woking-based team as a benchmark this season to see just where the works team in comparison, but in 2019 it is the aim to be a match for both outfits.
“We know we have a substantial deficit to Red Bull in terms of chassis – in terms of aerodynamics and mechanical platform,” said Abiteboul to Motorsport.com.
“We know Red Bull very well and that’s a fantastic benchmark. I think they have one of the best chassis if not the best chassis out there right now – we’ll see what they come up with.
“McLaren is a bit more of an unknown for us, because they had a different chassis and a different engine, different drivers, so it’s very difficult to compare. It will be an interesting benchmark.
“I think in terms of overall capacities, in the course of this year we should be able to match them. Having said that, they are very stable organisations, which are very well structured, very well organised, very well funded.
“We are still a work in progress, we are still growing up and still in the process of building our own team. I think it’s not before 2019 that we can be in a position to fully match them, even if I would like to see a very small gap between us and them in the process this year.”
