Renault's Abiteboul impressed by rivals' recent engine upgrades

Renault Sport F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul says the French manufacturer's engine is still not on a par with its Mercedes and Ferrari rivals, especially after the duo's most recent upgrades.

Mercedes' engine technology has led the charge since the advent of the hybrid era in 2014, but Ferrari made inroads into that dominance and - by Mercedes' own admittance - now has the upper hand in terms of sheer power output.

The Italian outfit's latest spec engine has left Abiteboul mightily impressed.

"I'm impressed by what we are doing, but I'm also impressed by what they are doing, because it's a fact that the gap is not really reducing," the Frenchman told Motorsport.com.

"What we are doing is just allowing us to keep that gap.

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"I think Ferrari in particular has made an important step for the past few races with its works team and also its customer teams.

"It's very visible, and we have to factor that into what we are doing, and to the priorities that we put. We have to keep on delivering what we're supposed to deliver on power."

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen recently lamented the lack of power of his Renault engine down Silverstone's straights, but Abiteboul suggested the track's specifics were also to blame for the deficit.

"It's amazing how much the tracks are changing, particularly this year with the extra effect of normal aero development and tyres with more grip, but also a lot of tracks have been resurfaced," explained Abiteboul.

"We don't always know what to expect from this resurfacing, and it really was a surprise to see the amount of grip offered by this new Silverstone, and the percentage of the track where you are now on full throttle.

"It makes it one of the most power sensitive tracks that we've seen so far," he admits.

"A couple of years ago in everyone's mind a track like Montreal was one of the most sensitive. It's actually a joke now, compared to Austria or Silverstone.

"So I think that some of the comments made by the drivers need to be put in the context of the evolution of the track. You don't necessarily expect that from Silverstone, but in reality this is the new Silverstone."

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