Prost adamant Renault engine 'will be one of the best'

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Renault special advisor and F1 legend Alain Prost insists the French manufacture will at some point have one of the best power units in Formula 1.

Renault's Viry Châtillon engine department has endured a rough start to the 2019 season with a series of MGU-K failures suffered by the manufacturer's works outfit and its customer McLaren.

Carlos Sainz was sidelined in Melbourne by the element's breakdown, while Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo were simultaneously hit with problems in the closing stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Hulkenberg: Reliability issues costing Renault 'experience and points'

All Renault engines were fitted with an updated MGU-K in China but Hulkenberg was once again stopped by a rupture, although one rooted in a software glitch rather than in the component's hardware.

According to Prost, reliability troubles are the price to pay for the significant step forward the Renault unit has achieved this season in terms of performance.

"We know we’re pretty close to the limit right now," Prost told Sky Sports.

"Reliability problems are sometimes unavoidable, it’s part of the game and we have to accept that. We will once again be one of the best engines in Formula 1.

"Nobody talks about it, but we have the data, we’ll do it step by step and we’ll make it."

Prost insisted he had noted the frustrations felt by Daniel Ricciardo at the outset this season, although the Aussie's fortunes improved markedly in China where Renault's new recruit put his first points of the year on the board.

"It is inevitable that such things appear – I told him so, "Prost said.

"Red Bull’s philosophy is quite special, and it’s difficult to be in a new team."

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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.