SM
Watford vs. Oxford Utd: 12 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

2019 Renault car 'still in pieces' - Abiteboul

:Headline: 2019 Renault car 'still in pieces' - Abiteboul: ID:350207: from db_amp
Renault's 2019 car is yet to see light of day.

Renault's 2019 car is yet to see light of day.

Ostensibly, the French team 'launched' its new single seater on Tuesday, but it was actually the 2018 car with 2019-style bodywork.

One theory is that the car is delayed, and another is that Renault doesn't want to reveal its secrets.

Team boss Cyril Abiteboul admitted it is "the biggest step we have taken since the introduction of V6 engines".

Team advisor Alain Prost says Renault has been working over recent months to build up, declaring on Tuesday: "We are now a big team."

And with Daniel Ricciardo now in the cockpit, Abiteboul says Renault has "perhaps the strongest" driver lineup of any team. Nico Hulkenberg, he added, is "enormously underestimated".

Australian Ricciardo has joined Renault from Red Bull, and he says his mission now is to show that it is a "serious" move with the aim of eventually winning a title.

"When I signed here, a lot of people were saying 'Why has he done that?'" he admitted.

"I feel as though not everyone sees it as a serious move, so I want to show that I am serious."

And German Hulkenberg said: "If I had to put my expectations into words, I would say 'We have work to do, but hopefully not too much'."

As for the missing 2019 car, boss Abiteboul explained: "Our new car is still in pieces, but we will have it ready for the Barcelona test.

"I believe we are not the only team to be in this situation," Abiteboul added.

And when that car emerges, Prost says the goal is for it to be close to Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

"We will be able to reduce the gap to the top three teams, I just don't know by how much," said the quadruple world champion.

"Everything looks very promising," Prost added. "I don't think it will be enough to beat Mercedes and Ferrari, but Red Bull and Honda are a question mark for me."

As for the future, it appears that Renault's intense team-building process is now basically over. Abiteboul admitted Renault is "several hundred people" short of the big three, but that will not change for now.

"We are talking about a capped budget for 2021, so we will not go further than we are today," said the Frenchman.

amp_article__350207 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-02-13 07:55:45:
html db last update - 2019-02-13 07:55:45 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Cyril Abiteboul

Click here for more stories about Mercedes

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .