Renault must switch their attention to performance gains, rather than reliability, according to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
The Briton has urged the French power unit supplier to take a riskier approach to the season and prioritise performance, even if it means the team gets through 20 engines this season.
“It’s positive that Renault have got four engines to the finish without any white smoke,” he said after the Spanish Grand Prix which saw both his cars lapped by race winner Nico Rosberg.
“The focus desperately needs to turn to performance before too long. Renault have got things in the pipeline but it’s all a work in progress.
“Obviously they are nervous about reliability so I think it will be the second half of the year before we see anything significant.”
Horner says Red Bull have written off 2015 and would prefer that Renault take an aggressive approach to the season, to best prepare them for 2016.
“We’re so far on the back foot with reliability anyway that this year is pretty much a write-off, and you’ve just got to go for it even if you end up using 20 engines.
“It would be better to learn and make progress in preparation for next year than be conservative,” he added.
“It’s far easier to make a fast car or a fast engine reliable than it is a reliable car fast. Our philosophy has always been to push performance.”
