F1: Red Bull and Renault begin revamp

Related Stories

Renault has given the green light for a major overhaul of its relationship with Red Bull in a bid to help them both get back on top in Formula 1.

In the midst of a frustrating 2014 campaign, where the French car manufacturer has struggled against the might of Mercedes, a totally fresh approach to its F1 operation has been agreed with Red Bull. Renault will give Red Bull its full works focus, while the team has agreed to devote staff and resources at its own base to help bolster areas of technology where Renault needs to improve.

Renault Sport F1's new managing director Cyril Abiteboul, who was drafted in two months ago after leaving Caterham, says a new way of thinking was needed for 2015.

"We have to be much more pragmatic because we are changing the way we are conducting operations and, in truth, we made our life extremely difficult," he said. "Our starting point was not great. We were not integrated and not in the right part of the world to operate all of that.

"So if in addition to those difficulties we add up the complexity of leading not one project but four projects for each of our four customers, we end up in the situation we have ended up in.

"We will have a works team. We'll have to work and integrate properly with the works team, and the rest will have to follow. I'm sorry but that's the facts of life.

"We are trying to do it in the way that is doable for teams like Toro Rosso and Caterham but our focus and target is to go back to a winning championship position with Red Bull Racing."

RED BULL CREATES NEW DIVISION

Red Bull has already begun recruiting engine staff to help lead a new division that will offer support to Renault's own engineers at Viry-Chatillon. Team principal Christian Horner believed that Red Bull could offer expertise in areas that would boost Renault's performance.

"We are looking to bolster areas that we have strength and Renault have weaknesses in," he to. "We are looking to the areas of strength that we have: whether it be simulation, or modelling. It'll be working hand-in-hand with Renault rather than independently of Renault."

After criticizing Renault earlier this year, Horner believed that the plans in place now were exactly what was needed.

"We want a competitive engine, and to be honest with you I think after the problems that we had this year, Renault is our best chance at fixing that in the medium term," he said. "Getting the right structure in place, getting the right working practices in place with the right people in the right positions is a far better way of approaching this than just looking for another customer supplier."

Originally on Autosport.com