Formula One: Renault Engine Suppliers Happy With the First-Half Season
The engine technical director still has a very important role to play despite the fact that in the year 2006, FIA ruled out any developments in the fundamental design of the engine. Even now, the competition to have the best engine on the grid is as intense as it had ever been.
The Formula One official website talked to Renault’s engine technical director, Rob White, taking his views on different aspects of the sport, as well as on Renault’s achievements and their future plans.
While commenting on the first half of the season, he said that the team is not fully satisfied, as they hope to get even better results but still they are proud of all that they have been able to achieve so far. The data of the first half of the season is quite pleasing, as Renault powered cars have had ten pole positions in the first eleven races. They have also been able to set six fastest laps of the first half, further they have bagged twelve podium finishes and above all had been successful in winning five Grand Prix’s so far. He said that over all this, an additional treat for them was their one-two-three finish in Monaco, which Renault has had for the first time since 1997.
He also proclaimed that both the Renault powered teams Renault F1 Team and Red Bull Racing are supplied with the same specification and equal level of support. That is the reason why the manufacturer had been able to have good stats all through the season and both the teams are equally satisfied by them.
While enhancing the rule of no changes in the homologated engine, he said that this does not mean that the specification of the engines have become completely static, rather he said that the homologated engine are very sophisticated engines that are already able to perform at the maximum limit as well as give reliability. He further explained that it was true that all the engine suppliers requested to approve some modifications in the engine by FIA. For example, it was requested by some to let them improve the fixing reliability, quality problems or at least allow them to manage changes in the supply chain. However, these were not allowed by the FIA. Now he hoped that while looking at a closer analysis of the season, FIA would approve the prior proposed changes now.
He added that FIA is a system which does not accept changes without evaluating; he thinks that now they will assess the scope and its quantity in relation to the complexity of the engines they are currently being used and he hoped that they would come to the best suited decision.
Rob White further added that under the homologated engine regulations, the engine suppliers face a big challenge. He elaborated this by telling that their major objective is to supply and operate engines that are more capable than of their rivals. However, he said that this is a dreadful challenge for them, and they have to work real hard with the Renault-powered cars to provide them with the maximum opportunity to perform.
Lastly talking about the different client teams of the engine supplier, he said that Renault has the capacity to cater to a number of clients at the same time. He added that they have been supplying engines to Red Bull since the year 2007 and over the years, they had been able to build an excellent relationship, so now they hope to continue it in the future as well.
However, he concluded by saying that they are resolute to provide the same standard and specifications of engines to all their teams. The speculation that different teams are supplied with different standards is completely wrong.
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