Analysis
Formula 1
Analysis: New livery, same engine woes for Red Bull?
When Red Bull pulls off the covers on its 2016 Formula 1 livery in London on Wednesday night, it will not be lost on the team that its chances of success this season still hang on what is going on deep inside the car.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Feb 17, 2016, 2:42 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
For however much any bold new colour schemes, and fanfare from new engine-naming partner TAG Heuer, shout of a bright new era from the team, if Renault does not make progress then results will still be hard to come by.
But does a changed relationship between Red Bull and its engine supplier mean it now has even less chance of success, or will the revamped effort from Renault actually help it move on from the nightmares of the past?
Relationship breakdown
Red Bull and Renault went to the brink last year as competitive struggles and a public war of words left their relationship in tatters, and them all set for an acrimonious parting of ways.
In the end, as Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda refused to play ball, Red Bull had to return cap in hand to Renault to renew their deal, albeit under very different circumstances.
From now on, Red Bull is no longer the preferred partner: for Renault has its own works team and everything is being done is to ensure that its Enstone operation gets back to the top.
And secondly, Red Bull will have a tougher time criticising its engine partner – for the TAG Heuer rebranding should help a little in ensuring that Renault's name does not get dragged through the mud.
Closing the gap
Red Bull may then no longer be leading the charge to fast-track Renault's success, but that does not mean the French car manufacturer is simply sitting back.
Renault's Remi Taffin thinks that work done over the winter should allow it to have halved the gap it faced last year to Mercedes, something which should allow Red Bull to make progress too.
“We are looking at the first half of the step we are having to Mercedes,” explained Taffin. “When I say first half, it is because we never know how the competitors will improve over the winter.
“If we were a second off last year, maybe we will get back three or four tenths. We will see what we have got testing and racing.”
New way of working
One thing is clear, though: Renault will not be rushing things through to make rapid progress in 2016, no matter what noises come out of Milton Keynes.
Instead, it will all be about laying foundations for 2017: when Renault wants its own works team to enjoy the fruits of its labour.
“There is a stepped programme, but the programme is made for 2017,” added Taffin. “Obviously we are racing every other weekend in 2016, but it will still be driven by the fact of: is it a good thing for 2017? If yes, we do it.
“In 2016 we have to be humble because we want to finish races, and we want to be quicker and quicker. So we will see how we develop that strategy. It will be based on what we got up to last year.”
That is not to say, however, that there will not be any updates in 2016.
"You always push to have things at the earliest, and at one point you have to commit as you have to produce parts. So we will go through 2016 taking opportunities – and taking opportunities means you cannot have specific planning: and we have specific planning going to 2017."
Fresh motivation
If Red Bull is after some encouragement, though, it comes from the fact that amid all the restructuring going on at Renault for its works team, there is increased resources, input from Ilmor and management changes designed to deliver results that simply were not possible before.
"We've been empowered to achieve winning," said Taffin.
That means Taffin and his crew have the power now to dance to their own tune – and make developments as they see fit: rather than facing the pressure from Red Bull to deliver everything now.
"I think I am more confident that the decisions we will be making will be our decisions, so we have to be in charge of that decision and deliver," he said.
"The pressure, it is a good pressure, when you do decide things and you deliver that is a good thing. If you haven't got that pressure that you are obliged to do this or that or this step.
"If we had done a better job in 2014 or 2015, I don't think Red Bull would not be asking for more.
"Having Renault behind us, it gives us freedom that I can plan things for two or three years rather than answering a customer who wants something for the next race."
Marko games
Even so, we've already seen the first inkling that the political battleground between Red Bull and Renault will remain intense.
Only a few weeks ago, Helmut Marko suggested the French car manufacturer should throw all its weight behind his team rather than its own works outfit.
"If Renault were clever they would put everything on us, because with this team (Lotus) and these drivers they won't manage anything at all," he said.
For Renault's engine technical director Taffin, being on the receiving end of such politically-loaded comments is nothing new – and he brushes the situation off.
"If I was Dr. Marko, that is exactly what I would say," he smiles. "He has got his team, he wants the best for his team and he wants to win.
"I would have been surprised if he had said the opposite, to be fair, but this is my own judgement.
"After that, I think what will be delivered is the same engine as Renault. And, as we wish to make Renault win, at one point we will have to have a very good engine.
"So if it is still fitting that engine into his chassis then he should have a competitive package, because we know how they are capable of producing good chassis.
"That will make a good battle. I will be happy to get a fight with Red Bull and eventually win obviously."
Embracing the future
Taffin is clear that Renault's situation in F1 right now is not simply down to the fact that relations with Red Bull collapsed so it had to do its own thing.
Instead, its about believing and investing in a better future that can deliver results for his company.
"If you understand why Renault is back in F1, it has nothing to do with the past with Red Bull," he said. "It is what we want to achieve for the future."
And any progress that comes on the engine will help any car it is fitted in: whatever the colours are on the outside.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Complicated F1 tyre rules should deliver variety, says Key
Next article Red Bull unveils revamped F1 livery
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Red Bull Racing
Did Max Verstappen already know the impact of Red Bull’s big upgrade when he signed his new deal?
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
21 min
Did Max Verstappen already know the impact of Red Bull’s big upgrade when he signed his new deal?
Latest news
Did Max Verstappen already know the impact of Red Bull’s big upgrade when he signed his new deal?
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
21 min
Did Max Verstappen already know the impact of Red Bull’s big upgrade when he signed his new deal?
WEC: Barcelona 6 Hours schedule and TV times
WEC
WEC WEC
Barcelona
1 h
WEC: Barcelona 6 Hours schedule and TV times
Brennan Poole joins Jordan Anderson Racing for 2027 NASCAR O'Reilly season
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Phoenix II
3 h
Brennan Poole joins Jordan Anderson Racing for 2027 NASCAR O'Reilly season
Kaden Honeycutt wins incident-free Phoenix NASCAR Truck race, extends points lead
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Phoenix
7 h
Kaden Honeycutt wins incident-free Phoenix NASCAR Truck race, extends points lead
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe