Renault Went a Step Backward in Development in 2018

New Renault technical director Marcin Budkowski has admitted the team hasn’t been as good at developing its car in 2018 as it has been in the two years prior, as the French look to close the gap with the Big Three teams in the coming seasons.

When Renault made their comeback as a works team in 2016, Renault boss Carlos Ghosn announced the team would need three years to get back to the top, where they were in 2005 and 2006 when Fernando Alonso led them to back-to-back championships. Fast forward three years, and Renault come fresh off of a season where they were the best team outside of that Big Three, but still a way off.

“We could’ve had better results last season if we would’ve focussed on the short term,” the former FIA man told AutoHebdo.

“That’s not how we work, as we look to the future more. Don’t expect us to hire only veterans, but rather younger people who come fresh out of university. We invest in the future and in some ways we’re still building the team.

“The championship is the only thing that matters for us and we have to build a team that can take on a job like that. We’ve been able to build that team for three years now, now the three years of putting pressure at the top will come. We only didn’t deliver last season developing the cars, considerably worse than the season prior.”

Despite the gap between Renault and the three teams ahead hasn’t decreased in 2018, Budkowski doesn’t think this is their own doing.

“Let’s not forget that we’re talking about being slowed down in an attempt to get closer. We only haven’t managed to develop our car even quicker than Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.”