Saturday 4 February 2012

GPUpdate

Boullier expecting long-lasting Mercedes fight

5 July 2010

Renault Team Principal Eric Boullier believes the Enstone outfit will continue battling Mercedes GP for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship until the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. The two are currently separated by just 20 points with ten Grands Prix still to go.

The European Grand Prix last time out was a difficult affair for the works Mercedes squad, scoring just one point with Nico Rosberg as opposed to Renault’s ten with Robert Kubica. Although the momentum may be with Renault, though, Eric does not expect the silver arrows to stand still.

Eric Boullier, Renault F1 Team Principal
Eric Boullier, Renault F1 Team Principal

“The battle with Mercedes is a fight that I expect to last throughout the season,” he said prior to this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone. “They are a very strong competitor and it would be wrong to underestimate them; they have two very good drivers and they are ahead of us in the championship, so it’s clear that we will have to work hard to beat them.

“Obviously they were missing some performance in Valencia, which was a surprise, but I don’t think they will underperform at every race - so it was important that we took points off them because I know they will fight back.”

Boullier also stresses that, although Renault are the only team taking significant car updates to every race this season, next season’s challenger is now very much ‘work in progress’.

“The strategy will certainly be different compared to the start of the year although it’s clear we need to keep pushing hard because we’re still not quick enough to challenge for pole and race wins,” he continued, “but at the same time it’s important that we look ahead to next year and we must not neglect the development of the 2011 car, which is already well underway.”

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Series
  Formula 1

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  Eric Boullier

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  Lotus Renault

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