Renault’s Managing Director, Cyril Abiteboul, has admitted that the team might not be winning races next year and that results may come in 2019 instead.
Renault will not win until 2019 – Cyril Abiteboul
“We wanted to establish ourselves in the midfield this year,” said Abiteboul when talking to Auto Motor und Sport. “We succeeded in that, even if we would like to climb a bit higher in the ranking.”
Despite climbing through the grid in 2017 however, Abiteboul revealed that it may take longer before Renault can begin to challenge F1’s front runners for race wins and podiums.
“Victories must be possible in 2019,” said the Frenchman. “It sounds like a long time, but it is not. We know where the top teams are. Formula one is about people,” he added. “If I sign someone today, I have to wait one to two years before I can use that talent, so it only has an impact on the 2020 car.”
Renault rejoined the Formula 1 grid in 2016 for the first time since 2011 after taking over the Lotus F1 Team at the end of 2015. Signing Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer for its comeback year, the team had a disappointing season, scoring only eight points in the 21 races of the 2016 Season, despite effectively using a 2015 Lotus E23. Replacing Magnussen with Nico Hulkenberg and retaining Palmer for 2017, Renault so far have had an improved 2017 season, scoring 14 points in the first eight races of the year although Palmer has disappointed the team through a lack of pace when compared to Hulkenberg.
Renault last finished on the podium at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix through former F1 driver, Nick Heidfeld, and last won a race in 2008 at the Japanese Grand Prix through Fernando Alonso.
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