Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that Renault is planning a significant power unit upgrade scheduled to arrive for the Canadian Grand Prix in June.
By their own admission, the team were disappointing in Melbourne, having been billed as the squad most likely to end Mercedes’ reign of superiority after a resurgence in 2016. With Max Verstappen qualifying 1.2 seconds adrift of the lead Mercedes, the RB13 is evidently not the all-conquering package that many anticipated.
While Verstappen had a stronger Sunday, Red Bull still finished fifth and a full 30 seconds behind race-winner Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari; a team and driver combination that Red Bull had the measure of in 2016.
“There’s a lot of work to do,” Marko said in an interview for Motorsport.com. “The race speed makes us think positively. But from our side there is a lot to do, and Renault’s side as well.
“Montreal is their biggest step. Something smaller is coming in Barcelona, but a reasonable step in Montreal.”
While Honda’s nightmare served as somewhat of a smoke screen, Renault’s pre-season was decidedly difficult. Fundamental flaws in their 2017 ERS package forced them to revert to last season’s specification in a search for reliability.
However, in a year when the restrictive token system regarding engine development has been lifted, Renault have much more freedom to make sizable gains in performance mid-season.
Not only is this an excellent way of diffusing potential tensions before they arise with their previously disgruntled customers, but it is good news for fans hoping for a three-way championship duel.
