Daniel Ricciardo insists there is speed in the Renault car but is struggling to optimise it.
The Australian has had a tricky start to life after Red Bull as he is yet to make a Q3 or finish a race with his new team.
In Bahrain, both he and teammate Nico Hulkenberg were holding on to points positions before both engines failed almost simultaneously, leaving the two drivers stranded on the outside of Turn 1.
And more generally, Renault has struggled to establish themselves as the lead midfield team, with their single-lap pace the main weakness.
“The car has signs of pace but personally I’m still trying to find a bit,” Ricciardo was quoted by F1i.com post-race.
“There are a few areas that we’ll work on during the test, so we’ll get some more time in the car and iron out a few things.”
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What particularly caught Ricciardo’s attention was how he made progress through the field at the start of Sunday’s race despite not feeling comfortable with the car.
“Yeah, relative to our competitors, it looks like we were doing okay,” he noted. “There’s a bit of speed there, but I feel a lot more can come.
“I’ve experienced more so I know a lot more can come and hopefully we can find that soon. Even for me personally, just more confidence in the car.”
The ‘Honey Badger’ even admitted that the contact with Hulkenberg, as the German most ahead at Turn 1 on fresher tyres, highlighted his current woes.
“Running into Nico, obviously didn’t plan on that, but under braking I’m not there yet,” he admitted.
“It wasn’t in the script, but let’s say I’m trying to find some speed in a few areas.”