Renault Sport F1 director of operations Remi Taffin says the French power unit supplier has recently achieved important breakthroughs in terms of driveability and reliability, and is keen to “continue [its] run in Sochi”.
All four Renault-powered cars scored points in Singapore, with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo even challenging for the win at twisty and narrow Marina Bay Circuit.
And while a couple of accidents prevented him and team-mate Daniil Kvyat from reaching the top 10 in Japan, sister squad Toro Rosso managed to secure another double points finish at power-sensitive Suzuka.
“In the last two races we have been a lot closer to the performance potential of the power unit,” said Taffin. “In qualifying the Red Bulls have been noticeably closer to pole and Toro Rossos regular Q3 challengers.
“We’ve unlocked some greater driveability and this, coupled with the increased reliability, has given a net step forward on track, as we saw with the podium in Singapore.”
“Russia is a mix of Singapore and Japan, with the tight corners of the former and the flowing sections of Suzuka. As a result we are confident that we can continue our run in Sochi. We are looking forward to getting going and pushing on with the job in hand.”
Unlike rival engine manufacturers Honda, Ferrari, and Mercedes, Renault has yet to spend any of its 12 engine development tokens this season.
The French constructor, which is set to take over Lotus and return as a works outfit in 2016, will introduce its first upgrade during the United States Grand Prix weekend.
However, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner does not think this will prove enough to fight at the front on merit, as he claims that Renault is “two to three years” behind Mercedes and Ferrari in terms of engine performance.
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