Renault F1 Team executive director Marcin Budkowski says that deciding when to switch the team's focus and resources to 2021 will represent a "big dilemma" this year and a "game of chicken" for the top F1 outfits.
Formula 1 will usher in an entirely new regulation platform next year, which means that teams will need to develop their 2020 cars this season while simultaneously preparing for 2021.
But at some point, the focus will turn predominantly to next year's car, and the timing of that shift could prove crucial according to Budkowski.
"I think it is going to be a big dilemma," he said, quoted by Motorsport.com. "I think it is going to be a big dilemma for everybody.
"We have a plan, I am sure everybody has, and that plan is to shorten development into the season. It is not less development it is just more concentrated development."
The Renault executive says the all-important shift and adjustment in resources has the potential to impact the outcome of the battle at the front, depending on who "pulls the plug first" on 2020.
"It is easy to say this now because the season hasn’t started, but at the front it could be quite interesting if the top three are fighting for the championship and it’s going to be a close fight," said Budkowski.
"It is going to be interesting seeing who pulls the plug first and jumps to 2021. Are Ferrari, for example, willing to switch earlier and take a risk that another team will win?
"To be honest it is the same throughout the field. If it is a close fight for fourth, it is going to be a game of chicken about who blinks first, and who transitions first.
"But I think it is important we don’t get distracted because 2021 is such a big challenge and the margin of progression on the new set of rules is big."
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