Cyril Abiteboul is looking at the Canadian Grand Prix with optimism as his Renault Sport Formula One Team bring updates to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Renault arrive in Canada on the back of a strong result at the Monaco Grand Prix with Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr. both scoring points at the Circuit de Monaco, and whilst Renault secured another double points finish, Abiteboul admits the race in Monaco exposed some problems for the team.
“The Monaco Grand Prix is always a test for teams, chassis and engines, both in performance and in reliability,” said Abiteboul. “We left there with mixed feelings.
“We got both drivers to the finish to score double points – it was a welcome return to the top ten for Nico after two tough races, while Carlos maintained his run. In fact, only he, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have scored in the last four events.
“However, we also exposed some of our weaknesses. We know we have to work on tyre management and optimising qualifying to provide our drivers with less challenging circumstances for them to perform at their best.
“These finer points are now the focus; by and large we are performing well, but these details can make the difference between scoring points and finishing just outside.”
Renault are bringing some updates to Canada and Abiteboul is optimistic that the updates will be successful.
“We therefore look forward to Canada with optimism; we have the next stage of our power unit development scheduled and a number of aero and mechanical upgrade,” said Abiteboul. “Canada is a tough race, but we need to pull together to make the most of every opportunity.
