Mercedes has vowed to catch F1's runaway Renault-powered teams, as it risks losing millions in Concorde Agreement bonus money. Formerly looking set to finish second behind Red Bull in the lucrative constructors' championship, Mercedes had a bad weekend in Japan and is now ten points behind Ferrari.
Not only that, Lotus - whose Romain Grosjean was challenging for victory at Suzuka - is no longer far behind in the teams' title chase. Mercedes, on the other hand, has lost ground. "Red Bull has taken a big step forward since Singapore," Toto Wolff told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, adding that the similarly Renault-powered Lotus is now a few tenths ahead. "We need to analyse what they have done," said Mercedes' motor sport chief.
The German report said Wolff suspects that the top two Renault-powered teams are now streaking away with a clever engine mapping and exhaust-blowing solution. "If that's the case," Wolff said, "we need to find out why we have missed something. We think we know what they're doing. The only question is whether we have the resources to implement something in the last four races. Perhaps we will need to reallocate some resources," he added.
The problem is that, at Mercedes' Brixforth engine facility, all the test benches are reportedly now being used for next year's turbo V6 development. (GMM)
Mercedes vows to catch Renault-powered teams
- Published on 14 Oct 2013 14:55
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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L. Norris
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C. Leclerc
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A. Antonelli
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
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Spain
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
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Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
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Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team -
- Points -
- Podiums -
- Grand Prix -
- Country France
- Date of b. Apr 17 1986 (40)
- Place of b. Geneve, France
- Weight 71 kg
- Length 1.8 m
3 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Romain Grosjean
Team profile
- Team name Renault
- Base Enstone, France
- Fernando Alonso 1
- Daniel Ricciardo 3
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 7
- Romain Grosjean 8
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Pastor Maldonado 13
- Jenson Button 15
- Kevin Magnussen 20
- Nico Hülkenberg 27
- Jolyon Palmer 30
- Esteban Ocon 31
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 236,941 comments on Renault
- 26 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Renault
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