A spanner in the Honda and Renault works
The sight of Daniel Ricciardo's V6 engine expiring just as he crossed the finish line perfectly sums up Renault's persistent problems. Both Red Bull cars finished in the points (which puts the team fourth in the constructor's standings in front of Sauber), but the situation on the engine front is absolutely critical as the Australian will be using his fourth unit in Spain. Apparently, back at Viry-Chätillon, Renault has identified the source of the chronic engine problems but time is really starting to run out.
It's a similar state of affairs over at Honda. Alonso brought the car home just outside the points, but the failure to run Jenson Button's car has deprived the Japanese V6 power unit of some crucial track time. Jenson only managed 29 laps over the entire weekend, compared with 141 for Hamilton.
The following three weeks will prove crucial for both manufacturers who must implicitly fix their underlying issues after a dismal start to the season. Once again, when one looks at the current standings, one wonders if a team is not better off manufacturing both chassis and engine in order to succeed in the current 'Hybrid' era...
Jacky Eeckelaert was speaking to Nicolas Carpentiers
Click here for analysis of the development war between Ferrari and Mercedes
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