Renault focused on Spa and Monza engine gains

Renault is bringing upgrades to the races in Belgium and Italy in order to get "a clear picture of the ranking" of each power unit at Monza.

While Red Bull was competitive throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Renault as a power unit manufacturer still lags behind both Mercedes and Ferrari. Honda has named Renault as its target to overhaul in the second half of the season, but Renault's engine technical director Remi Taffin has revealed there will be upgrades brought to the next two races in order to try and close the gap to the front.

"Spa and Monza will see new software and hardware updates," Taffin said. "We are looking at Monza as a benchmark as it could provide a clear picture of the ranking of the engines. Being in the top 10 will be a good result as these next two circuits are power-hungry.

"After Monza, we have more races and more things in the pipeline – the next two months will be important for the 2017 season outcome."

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Taffin believes Renault can establish itself as the clear fourth-quickest team during the remainder of the season but highlights its race pace and reliability as the main areas that need to improve in order to achieve that goal.

"We know we're not the fastest on the grid, but as a team we are showing we are the force after the top three. Qualifying pace has looked good with Great Britain and Hungary exemplifying our ability to be the fourth-best team. It's just a case of building on that and bettering the race pace.

"That comes from leveling up everything – we need to show off reliability and mileage and that is something we are giving close attention. We are on a good trend and we will keep adding performance in terms of both aerodynamics and engine so hopefully this can be seen in the upcoming races."

Managing director Cyril Abiteboul agrees with Taffin, but with Force India comfortably fourth in the constructors' championship, Abiteboul maintains fifth is Renault's target.

"We have proved, on a number of occasions, that we have the ability to comfortably run inside the top 10 and have shown we are well in the mix to be the best of the rest behind the top three teams," Abiteboul said. "Weekends such as China, Bahrain, Spain and Great Britain showed what we are capable of doing, and there are nine more races to really underline our progression and make a mark.

"These improvements have been down to the hard work being put in at Enstone and Viry, by our passionate workforce. We are focusing on the areas needing attention, and making the necessary improvements and changes.

"Clear steps are being made and we are heading in the right direction in terms of pace and reliability. The summer break came at a welcome time as we had the opportunity to reflect on these past few months and take a recharging period.

"We are excited to get out to Belgium and restart the season on a bright note, but in order to do that we need to stay focused and work hard together as a team. Finishing the season in fifth is our objective, but it will take resilience and determination from everyone at Renault Sport."