Nico Hulkenberg is hoping Renault can become a thorn in the side of the top three teams by the end of 2019.
The last race in Canada saw the German and teammate Daniel Ricciardo duel with Valtteri Bottas and the two Red Bulls for much of the race.
Ultimately, the Enstone outfit couldn’t sustain the pace but it has raised prospects that Renault is now making progress to close the gap.
And ahead of the company’s home race at Paul Ricard, Hulkenberg was asked if the team could surprise again.
“I would love to [be on the podium] but I think that is still quite some distance away,” the German replied.
“It is true we have some updates here but I’m sure other teams are bringing new things as well. I’m curious obviously about how it helps our car.
“Hopefully we can take a step towards the top three teams and eventually, at some point this year, make their lives harder.”
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For now though: “The main target of the season it to really become clearly the fourth team and this upgrade is just part of the journey, part of the process of that year,” Hulkenberg continued.
“It’s usually pretty tight and yeah, small margins can make a big difference so it’s important to get it together, like always. Feel good and strong.
“Obviously this weekend is important and a big one for us but I think the approach is like every other race.
“We want to do France proud.”