Alain Prost: "Customers may beat Renault in 2018"

Alain Prost has admitted Renault may struggle to beat its engine customers in 2018. Next year, the French carmaker will continue to run its own works team while supplying identical power units to both Red Bull and McLaren. F1 legend Prost, a Renault advisor, says it will not be easy for Renault to beat them.

But he told Auto Motor und Sport: "For me, the pressure is positive, even if it is difficult. The factory team will race against two well-established teams, where the entire organisation that Renault is still setting up already exists. And both of those teams also have top drivers -- maybe even the best. On paper we cannot beat Red Bull and McLaren," quadruple world champion Prost said.

The great Frenchman admits Renault was disappointed to miss its target of fifth in the constructors' championship in 2017. "But we will be better next year. And the comparison with the customer teams will help us to gain experience in order to get closer to the top teams," Prost continued. "We will be here for a long time so it's important that we make progress every year. In the end, if we want to win, we will have to beat everyone." (GMM)

Replies (5)

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  • They are going up against McLaren and Red Bull. McLaren will be tough, but were financially crippled this year, and is now a Renault customer, not a works partner. Red Bull is probably impossible for Renault to beat ATM. But the advantage Renault has as a works team is not really to be underestimated.

    • + 0
    • Dec 7 2017 - 12:18
  • I think the strategy at Renault is the to play down expectations, the opposite of what teams usually do. I expect them to fight for podiums. I like to see they have a long-term strategy.

    • + 0
    • Dec 7 2017 - 19:02
    • Its a sound strategy, like thst far better then loudmouthing.

      • + 0
      • Dec 7 2017 - 19:24
  • Savio

    Posts: 145

    It's obvious mr. Prost

    • + 0
    • Dec 7 2017 - 20:35
  • Barron

    Posts: 625

    Wow! Just how tall is Mario? I know Prost is a midget but really..? There was a picture the other day of Massa & Trulli together with the Hulk or somebody and they look like his children next him. It’s really astonishing just how small some of these heroic pilots are and how much strength they have to develop out of such a small frame. I am not small (1.88 metres) but sometimes I struggled getting a GT car around a track. My arms certainly knew all about it but I didn’t have power steering like these F1 pussies (lol) ?. Will Renault get beat by customer teams next year? Of course!

    • + 0
    • Dec 9 2017 - 09:44

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