Cyril Abiteboul believes that Renault Sport Formula One Team has increased its “stability and consistency” ahead of the 2018 Formula 1 season, and is hoping for a strong, midfield result in their first race in Melbourne.
Consistency wasn’t a word associated with Renault last year, the team failing to find the points for more than three races in a row. In total the team didn’t make it to the end of a Grand Prix thirteen times across the twenty races (and three drivers), putting them behind only McLaren F1 Team (who had fifteen) and level with Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, who were using Renault engines at the time.
Despite this the team had a reasonably successful time in pre-season testing, Renault finishing with the fourth-fastest time and regularly completing over 150 laps per day – the total of two and a half races. The same can’t be said for the now Renault-Powered McLaren F1 Team though. They struggled for reliability, though were able to set the second-fastest time of testing.
Before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, Abiteboul was keen to discuss the team’s advances – saying the midfield is the target and that consistency has increased.
“Ahead of us is a very long 21-race calendar during which many things will happen.
“This puts a premium on stability and consistency, which we feel we have increased as we enter our third year as Renault Sport Formula One Team.
“We are totally realistic that the midfield is very close, but our objectives are to start the season in the way we finished 2017: united, dedicated, racing hard and pushing all the way.”
