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Ilmor impact at Renault is positive - Abiteboul

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Renault Sport boss Cyril Abiteboul has praised consultant Mario Illien for his impact on the development of the French manufacturer's power unit.

Renault have made substantial progress this year on the engine front, in terms of both reliability and performance, as its decent results in pre-season testing at Barcelona demonstrated.

While Abiteboul believes all of Renault's F1 departments, both in Viry-Chatillon and in Enstone, have stepped up their efforts, he also acknowledged the input provided lately by Swiss engine guru Mario Illien.

"He's constantly in the loop, but not just Mario, Ilmor is giving us the ability to test even more solutions than we would without them," Abiteboul told Motorpsort.com.

Ilmor's implication which started last year was initiated by Red Bull Racing as it attempted to get a firm grasp on its engine woes.

Abiteboul believes that for now, maintaining an ongoing relationship with Red Bull, which is running a TAG Heuer-badged Renault power unit this year, is a productive solution.

"Frankly it was not an obvious thing to do, after all the things we went through in the last two years, to continue the relationship with them. But I continue to believe it was the right thing to do for us strategically.

"Now we will have to see if it makes sense to continue that in the next few years. But as we have a big job to catch up right now, it makes complete sense, so I'm very happy with the continuity of that relationship."

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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.