Reliability at the forefront of Renault's priorities - Abiteboul

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Renault Sport F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul says that Renault must address its reliability issues as soon as possible after troubles crept in once again at Silverstone.

Jolyon Palmer was sidelined before Sunday's race even started, forcing to park his car at the end of the formation lap with a hydraulic leak.

While Nico Hulkenberg's efforts yielded a positive result for the Enstone-based outfit, he lost a spot in the closing stages of the race because of a sudden power and deployment issue.

Abiteboul conceded that the troubles are not acceptable for Renault which will double its efforts to solve reliability woes which have also affected Red Bull racing's performance this season.

Abiteboul assures Palmer that Renault drive is safe

"We're still unhappy with reliability because if you look at it, the two cars have been hurt today. We know this our weakness, and we need to get that right," he told Motorsport.com after Sundays' British GP.

"Frankly there is absolutely no reason to have to suffer to that extent, given where we are now in our programme.

"That has to be the focus, performance is pointing in the direction that we want, so our focus is reliability."

Renault was satisfied however with the works outfit's most recent aero updates, notably a new floor mounted to Hulkenberg's RS17 last weekend, which serve as the foundation for more improvements which are in the team's pipeline.

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"This was an important thing for us to bring this floor, and for it to deliver a big impact," said the Hulk.

"I know there are more things coming, even already for Budapest.

"I think the first half (of the season) was decent, that was always my expectation, to be in the points now and then, but still a little bit behind the main midfield.

"I very much hope that at this rate of progression we can have a stronger second half, and battle the likes of Force India, Haas and Williams more, and take points off them."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.