Renault aim to be close to the top four teams in Bahrain, that’s the admission of team principal, Eric Boullier.
Boullier took control of the team in early January after the departure of Flavio Briatore and a buyout by Genii Capital. When asked how steep a learning curve it had been, he replied: “It’s fair to say that it has been a very steep learning curve because there is so much more to absorb and understand, even compared to GP2. It’s much more intense, but I’m pleased with how things are going.”
In testing, Renault had often finished in the mid-field times, but Boullier admitted the team had been running with heavy fuel as a way to better understand the car.
“We took a decision to run with heavy fuel at every test because we believed this was the best way to understand and improve the car. In terms of outright performance, I hope we are close to the top four teams.”
Asked about Renault’s prospects in Bahrain, he replied: “It’s not easy for me to say. I certainly have a dream result in mind, but I need to balance my expectations with reality. If we can have both cars qualify in the top ten and finish the race, that would be a great way to start the season.”
Robert Kubica reckons development pace is important for Renault.
“It will be a long season and our goal must be to develop faster than our competitors. There was a big gap to make up at the end of 2009 so we will have to take two steps forward if we want to catch the top teams. Performance is what we need – it’s always the best medicine.”
Meanwhile, newcomer Vitaly Petrov is hoping to finish his first race.
“I haven’t driven the car with all the new updates. I need to be realistic in Bahrain because it’s my first race and it will be a big learning experience. So my first aim is to build my confidence through the weekend, to finish the race and try to be as close to my teammate as possible.”
