F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Renault takes the bull by the horns to improve reliability

In a bid to halt the faltering reliability of its power units, Renault has defined a plan of action which shall be implemented from Singapore next week.

Red Bull Racing has found itself on the receiving end of several Renault mechanical failures this season, with Max Verstappen the most frequent recipient of the manufacturer's power unit breakdowns.

After the Dutch drivers' early demise at Spa following a sensor issue, Red Bull's Christian Horner hevaily criticised Renault, saying its engine partner was providing 'below par' service.

Renault Sport F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul has acknowledged the flaws and vowed to address the manufacturer's reliability issues.

Changes to its power unit to avoid a repeat of Verstappen's troubles were already applied at Monza last weekend and will be followed by the deployment in Singapore of extra personnel focused on resolving RedBull's reliability woes. 

"The first type of response is that every single type of incident that Max has had, like any other driver, there is a counter measure in place," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.

"The last one was a sensor default that we had in Spa. There is now a much better procedure that is better documented than what we had.

"It is not a matter of apologising, because that should have been in place – it should have been in place. I am not looking for excuses. It should have been in place and is now in place.

"The second element is that in terms of parts introduction, we have been more than loyal to Red Bull in focusing on making the best parts available to Red Bull – even at the expense of Renault. We feel that we have this duty to Red Bull and to Max," added the French manager. 

"And the last thing, in terms of people, is that we have added more resource. It has not happened yet, but it will happen from Singapore onwards, when we will have someone dedicated to them, plus someone else looking after reliability and operations.

"We are reacting. We are not taking it easy. We are reacting. And I am quite proud of how we are dealing with that situation."

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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.

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