Ricciardo: Renault 'trying to be too clever', needs more basic approach

Renault needs a more basic approach to its engineering processes on race weekends says Daniel Ricciardo after taking stock with his team of the situation.

Renault's new recruit - hired at a hefty cost - has endured a difficult start to his career with the French team.

After fumbling his start in Melbourne, Ricciardo was on track for a top-ten finish in Bahrain when he and team mate Nico Hulkenberg were simultaneously sidelined by an engine issue in the closing stages of the race.

The in-season test at Sakhir that followed the event offered the Aussie an opportunity to sit down with his crews and lay out the issues that are hampering his and the team's progress.

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Ricciardo revealed that Renault's operational procedures on race weekends had been at the center of the group's discussion.

"One thing we’ve also assessed is maybe we are trying to do too much over the course of a weekend," Ricciardo said.

"We got the chance to analyse on the Monday after Bahrain. Sat down with the engineers and had a debrief in a bit of peace and quiet in our own environment.

"We established that maybe we are currently trying to do too much. Where I am trying to settle in and also my engineers are trying to work with me. Probably all of us are trying to be too clever.

"You are always trying to find the limits. But for now we just need to keep a more basic approach and just do what we can, do it well, and then probably not look for that extra one percent at the moment.

"There is probably more time from just being comfortable and working well together.

"I know that once I start getting really comfortable with the car, that will reflect and that will go on to my engineers and then they will start to have more confidence."

Ricciardo and his team have now regrouped in Shanghai where Renault will apply the few changes decided in Bahrain.

"I already feel pretty good with the team around me," he added.

"We just sat down now for the last hour chatting over some stuff from Bahrain and also this weekend. There is good feeling with it, so I know it is going to come.

"That is why I’m not frustrated yet because I know that definitely things are going to come good. I want to get there as soon as possible but at the moment we are not fighting for a championship.

"So there is time for us to make these mistakes to become better."

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