Despite the progress made by Renault concerning their Formula 1 power unit this season, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner, the engine remains around 35 kW behind that of its main rivals in electrical energy output.
That’s roughly 47 HP that Red Bull can seemingly do without on certain tracks thanks to their excellent chassis. However, on fast tracks they could still use an improved car, which the team expects they will get when the current package is refined.
As reported by Autosport, Horner believes that “Renault have made some great steps and there are more in the pipeline. There’s definitely more to come and it’s about how they work in harmony with the chassis. We know that we’re 35 kW behind – that’s what the Renault guys tell us. We know the plans they have in place to close that gap down.”
Even though Red Bull gaining more power would definitely make this season more exciting, according to Renault technical director Remi Taffin, the next major power unit update won’t be introduced until the first race of the 2017 season.
Horner still remains hopeful that his team will continue improving this year, regardless of what Renault do with the power unit.
“We have some fuel and tuning and drivability that there’s definitely performance to come from,” said the Red Bull man. “So we’re quite confident that there will still be some steps of performance by tidying up what we actually have.”
Currently, Red Bull is looking to leapfrog Ferrari and become the 2nd best constructor this Formula 1 season. They trail the Scuderia by just 1 point heading towards the German Grand Prix.
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