Renault has had to switch back to the old MGU-K design, after the engine supplier was unable to solve reliability problems.
Renault brought a radical new engine design to Barcelona with less weight and more power, but all three Renault powered teams suffered problems related to the MGU-K in preseason testing.
Fixes were already being worked on and Renault had hoped to introduce the changes at the Australian GP, but couldn’t get them ready in time.
“There were only 10 days between the end of the second test and the race in Melbourne, so we had no choice but to do this,” Renault’s engine technical director Remi Taffin toldAutosport.
Now, Renault, Red Bull, and Toro Rosso will all have to wait until race five or six for the updated engine. Until then, the teams will run old, heavier engines with less power.
The switch explains Red Bull’s lack of pace this weekend. The team has been further behind Ferrari and Mercedes than had been expected. It’s also understood the team had to redesign some parts of their car to fit the engine.
