F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Williams impressed by Renault's 'phenomenal turnaround'

Williams F1 deputy team principal Claire Williams has admitted that she's very impressed by how quickly Renault has turned around its works team's fortunes.

The former Lotus team was on the brink of financial collapse when the French manufacturer bought it at the end of 2016. Renault said that years of underfunding and staff lay-offs had left the squad almost a decade behind its rivals.

However, Williams says that she now sees the Enstone-based team as a major player in the 2018 championship.

"Renault have definitely done a pretty impressive job," Williams told the media last week. "I think they are probably fighting, going to be snapping the heels of the top three.

"That's a phenomenal turnaround," she added.

"To turn around a team in this sport takes a huge amount of hard work and effort," she added. "And they seem to have done a really good job."

Among the changes made by Renault are the hiring of two new drivers. Nico Hulkenberg joined the team at the start of 2017, while Carlos Sainz has since moved to the team in a one-year loan from Toro Rosso.

"To win, we will need a period of two or three years, but I trust Renault," Sainz told Antena 3 television.

"You have to bear in mind that Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are one step ahead of everyone else," he pointed out. "Then there is McLaren and Renault.

"[Renault] are investing a lot of people and money to try to win as they did in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso."

Huilkenberg was similarly confident about the team having a bright future.

"The question is just how long it will take, I'm pretty sure about that," said the German driver. He said that the increased investment from Renault was making a big difference to the team's fortunes on track.

"That's what they have to do and that's what they are doing," he commented. "You need to invest and you need to work harder than the others to catch up.

"You don't get to the front in Formula 1 just by staying where you are, you need to make progress," he said. "You feel it eventually, yes, because it translates into performance.

"This is also what I wanted from the team and what I expect," he added. "We have a good vision together

"We will get closer to the front."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Horner: Max 'answered critics' with epic Sao Paulo GP drive

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory…

12 mins ago

Sainz left puzzled by double crash drama in rainy São Paulo

Carlos Sainz was left scratching his head after a disastrous Sunday at the Sao Paulo…

1 hour ago

Alonso pushed through agonizing pain to complete Sao Paulo GP

Fernando Alonso braved both physical agony and mechanical challenges in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix,…

3 hours ago

Alpine double-podium in Brazil could deliver $30 million windfall

Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…

17 hours ago

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2024 São Paulo GP

Alexander Albon, Williams (Did Not Start): 5.5/10 Alex Albon is definitely going through something of…

19 hours ago

Jos Verstappen rips British media after Brazilian Max fest

Jos Verstappen wasted no time after his son spectacular win at the São Paulo Grand…

20 hours ago