Prost: “the outsiders” Renault could catch up with Mercedes

During winter testing, Renault experienced significant reliability issues with its power unit, the result of insufficient preparation. The Saint-Chamond native admits about the Viry-Châtillon engine manufacturer that: « They were a bit behind in their schedule, and maybe Mercedes was ahead. It’s part of the game. »

The French world champion believes that the German team benefited from creating an all-inclusive package, which allowed them to develop a more homogeneous ensemble.

« The fact that they [Mercedes] made the chassis and the engine at the same time with a good level of integration may have made the difference. We must accept it. »

Indeed, we have been able to observe the gap between customer teams and constructor teams since the beginning of the season, for example for teams like Williams or Force India compared to the Mercedes team.

However, the work done during the weeks leading up to the Spanish Grand Prix could reduce the gap between the diamond brand and the star brand. F1 is an ever-evolving environment. Prost thinks that the most important thing is to work and progress as soon as possible. Let’s wait to see two or three races, and it could be quite different.

Indeed, the ambassador of Renault Sport F1 reminds us that the French engine manufacturer is very competitive and knows the taste of victory: « Renault has always embraced competition and challenges. Renault won the world championship four times [with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013, ed.] »

That’s why the gap between Red Bull-Renault and Mercedes does not scare them. According to Alain Prost, this difference could even shrink to the point of allowing the Franco-Austrian duo to fight for wins within a few races and thus fuel the interest of the 2014 season: « now they [Renault] are the outsiders, it’s good for the championship. »

The Spanish Grand Prix could prove crucial if Red Bull hopes to stay in the title race.