Nico Hulkenberg remains positive that Renault will once again fight for wins and championships, believing it is just a matter of “how long it will take”.
The French manufacturer has been on a very aggressive development plan of their Enstone base after picking up the remanents of the former Lotus team at the end of 2015.
Their ultimate goal has always been to be back at the front of the grid by 2020 and they have made huge strides to move from backmarker status in 2016 to challenging at the head of the midfield just 12 or so months later.
“The question is just how long it will take, I’m pretty sure about that,” the German, who joined the lead the project in 2017, was quoted by F1i.com.
Hulkenberg also defended the huge financial effort Renault has put in.
“That’s what they have to do and that’s what they are doing,” he commented. “You need to invest and you need to work harder than the others to catch up.
“You don’t get to the front in F1 just by staying where you are, you need to make progress. You feel it eventually, yes, because it translates into performance.
“This is also what I wanted from the team and what I expect,” the 30-year-old added. “We have a good vision together, we will get closer to the front.”
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A frustration that was aired after Australia though, was the lack of indentation made into the performance gap between Renault and the top three, who remain largely in a class of their own.
“You have to bear in mind that Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are one step ahead of everyone else,” said second driver Carlos Sainz. “Then there is McLaren and Renault.”
