Renault has confirmed reports it did not hit full throttle at the recent Jerez test. Works team Red Bull evidently had a difficult start to the winter season, struggling for pace and laps with the new RB11 car.
Under its skin is a heavily-upgraded Renault 'power unit', the result of a sweeping restructuring at the French marque and the hefty exchange of so-called unfreeze performance 'tokens'. After Jerez, though, Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko played down rumours of technical trouble, insisting the RB11 was running "a mix of old and new parts" and a new engine running at "reduced power".
Renault's Remi Taffin confirmed to the French outlet F1i that, at Jerez, the new 2015 power unit was indeed only running at "80 or 90 per cent". He said Renault will now "gradually pick up the pace and gain momentum to reach 100 per cent by the season opener".
"In Jerez, I think we were 1.5 seconds off our potential in terms of raw pace, but we had to preserve the power units in order to get mileage," Taffin added. "In Barcelona, we'll move more to the performance aspect of the engine and explore its limits."
Renault notably struggled at the start of the new V6 era, with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner last year revealing the deficit to Mercedes was as much as 75 horse power. "We've definitely taken a step forward," said Taffin, "but it remains difficult to know where we stand compared to our rivals who have also progressed, hopefully not as much as us."
Adrian Newey, Red Bull's car designer who is now taking a step back, is not sure the team's 2015 package will be capable of beating Mercedes this year. "When you're at a disadvantage, it's hard to catch that up," he said, "as engine lead-times are very long; much longer than chassis lead-times. But Renault are working hard and we have to have faith in our partner."
The team's optimistic number 1 Daniel Ricciardo - the only non-Mercedes driver to win races in 2014 - is hoping to mount a full title challenge in 2015. Newey is not sure that will be possible. "I think it's going to be extremely difficult," he said. "The Mercedes engine power advantage last year, about 10 per cent, is not really something that we can close in the space of one season. In truth, we are still going to be on the back foot," added Newey, "but we'll keep pushing." (GMM)
Renault will 'explore the limits' more in Barcelona
- Published on 13 Feb 2015 10:32
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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C. Leclerc
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Feb 13
A. Antonelli
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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G. Russell
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A. Antonelli
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Australia
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Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
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Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
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Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
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Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
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Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
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Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
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- Points 1,061
- Podiums 24
- Grand Prix 188
- Country Australia
- Date of b. Jul 1 1989 (37)
- Place of b. Perth, Australia
- Weight 64 kg
- Length 1.75 m
- 190,935 comments on Visa Cash App RB
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- Team name Mercedes
- Base Brackley, Germany
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Nico Rosberg 4
- Nico Rosberg 6
- Michael Schumacher 7
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 9
- Lewis Hamilton 10
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli 12
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- George Russell 63
- Valtteri Bottas 77
- 638,662 comments on Mercedes
- 59 members have this team as their favourite
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