4262 replies to this topic

[revmeister]

https://twitter.com/...185820442021888

 

[w1Y]

Prost saying that Renault are having reliability issues with 2022 PU. (Source'
: reddit)

[vista]

Prost saying that Renault are having reliability issues with 2022 PU. (Source'
: reddit)

 

Great. I guess it is to be expected since they will presumably completely revamp the whole engine layout with a split turbo. I remember that Merc used like 4-5 years getting it right for 2014.

[Alburaq]

Yeah regarding the power unit, it would be a miracle if it proves to be reliable from the get go IMO. Because

- the freeze of 2022 urges the teams to focus on performance first, then reliability. (this is what Prost says in his inteview below)

- the PU is completely different from the previous ones, it seemingly features several novelties, it will probably be the first split-turbo for Renault, and the first "size-zero" PU too.

- the advancement of the engine freeze (from 2023 to 2022) has probably disrupted Viry's Schedule a bit, they planned to introduce an A version of their new PU in 2022, and a B version in 2023. The new freeze has forced Viry to anticipate the 'PU22B' program and merge it with the A project in 2021.

- Viry is not (yet) Brixworth or Sakura or Maranello (in terms of infrastructure and budget)

Prost in L'Equipe:

You are leaving a week after Marcin Budkowski (executive director). How do you see this season so important for the brand?

No one is indispensable and, of course, I am no more than anyone else. But we must not forget that everything that is being done here today and for 2022 has been launched two or three years ago. The management of today, you know as well as I do, will only be judged in one or two seasons, not before. We have to be aware of that. Alpine was probably the first to focus on this objective of regulatory change. So the team will start with new faces, why not? Otmar (Szafnauer), if he comes, I like him. But we must not forget all the work done by the guys in Viry or Enstone, who are working hard on this project. Change, again, I have nothing against it, but what I don't appreciate is the lack of respect towards people. What I like is the human element.

 

So could Alpine win in 2022?

It's hard to answer that. We wonder about the reliability of the engine. But that doesn't worry me much, because the most important thing is performance. Since the engines are fixed, we have to work on that. But once I've said that, I can't say anything more because we'll have to compare ourselves with the others. And this season is going to be tremendously exciting because of that unknown. I'm extremely interested to see the hierarchy, Lewis' (Hamilton) fight for an eighth title...

 

It must be said that it is a project in which I believed and I still believe, an ambitious project which has given an incredible motivation to the group. But now, there is a real desire to put many people aside. Laurent Rossi wants all the light. What interests me is the challenge of being part of a team and being listened to and involved in certain decisions. I was voluntarily very much in the background, but I had a lot of influence in a discreet way despite all the disagreements that I kept to myself.

 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

 

But I hope that the test version of this PU will have at least enough stamina to cover the distance of one or more days of testing without problems and will not disrupt these precious tests. Especially that only one car will run this PU in 2022.

Edited by Alburaq, 20 January 2022 - 11:46.

[havci]

I am big fan of Enstone team since Alonso was firstly part of the team. Since from this date we went through better and worse time. But if I compare first part (around 2003) of Renault ownership with this one, I see several differencies. In first era team improved slightly every year. You could see improvement and performance curve was rising and it results in champions years. But now I am not sure unfortunately. In Cyril days, he promised we will be able to fight for win in five years. Now five years gone and we could heard from the team CEOs that we need another atleast three years. And moreover it seems that not everything in the team is so sunshined. But who knows and I must believe that Rossi knows what he does and all changes bring us better tomorrows. I cant wait for the tests and first impression about new car. Lets go

[Alburaq]

I am big fan of Enstone team since Alonso was firstly part of the team. Since from this date we went through better and worse time. But if I compare first part (around 2003) of Renault ownership with this one, I see several differencies. In first era team improved slightly every year. You could see improvement and performance curve was rising and it results in champions years.  

 

It's the same as today. The team improvemed massively between 2016 and 2020. Compared to similarily-budgeted teams, Renault improved as much but faster, because in 2016 it started with 470 people and two very troubled factories.

 

And it's only faux-pas was the 2019 car, but it heavily compromised 2020 and 2021 thanks to the freeze.

 

But in 2020 it has almost totally redeemed 2019 and resumed its good progression despite the fact the 2020 car was an RS.19 chassis and engine with a revised bodywork. That car was a bit too short for P3 but they had to pay the price of their 2019 wrong choice.

[2019 was supposed to be a full attack season but Enstone sadly produced a too conservative car, an RS.18B that stagnated and rapidly reached its limits. And that faux-pas came in the worst possible year and has put the team in a dilemma for 2020: do we produce a fully new car for 2020 or do we put all our energy in the 2021 technical revolution? The team chose the second solution and decided to focus almost exclusively on the next generation car.

But fortunately for that car, the PU made huge step forward in 2019 and remained competitive in 2020.]
 

Cyril's far-fetched promise, like the "title in 5 years" one was dropped in 2018 when the team clearly said that it did not want to engage in this arms race against those teams who spend 50% to 70% more than Renault. So they switched to a more long-term program and campaigned for the budget cap. And Renault was right, atleast for that era. How many titles Ferrari or RB or Mclaren have won during that time, with their incomparable budgets/well established factories and much more short term objectives? 

 

So this team's current plan started at the end of 2019, not 2016. We'll see in 2022 if they did a good job or not*.
 
 

Edited by Alburaq, 20 January 2022 - 14:27.

[dn12005]

It's the same as today. The team improvemed massively between 2016 and 2020. Compared to similarily-budgeted teams, Renault improved as much but faster, because in 2016 it started with 470 people and two very troubled factories.

 

And it's only faux-pas was the 2019 car, but it heavily compromised 2020 and 2021 thanks to the freeze.

 

But in 2020 it has almost totally redeemed 2019 and resumed its good progression despite the fact the 2020 car was an RS.19 chassis and engine with a revised bodywork. That car was a bit too short for P3 but they had to pay the price of their 2019 wrong choice.

[2019 was supposed to be a full attack season but Enstone sadly produced a too conservative car, an RS.18B that stagnated and rapidly reached its limits. And that faux-pas came in the worst possible year and has put the team in a dilemma for 2020: do we produce a fully new car for 2020 or do we put all our energy in the 2021 technical revolution? The team chose the second solution and decided to focus almost exclusively on the next generation car.

But fortunately for that car, the PU made huge step forward in 2019 and remained competitive in 2020.]
 

Cyril's far-fetched promise, like the "title in 5 years" one was dropped in 2018 when the team clearly said that it did not want to engage in this arms race against those teams who spend 50% to 70% more than Renault. So they switched to a more long-term program and campaigned for the budget cap. And Renault was right, atleast for that era. How many titles Ferrari or RB or Mclaren have won during that time, with their incomparable budgets/well established factories and much more short term objectives? 

 

So this team's current plan started at the end of 2019, not 2016. We'll see in 2022 if they did a good job or not*.
 
 

 

[MKSixer]

F1 is full of rot people don't be so melodramatic

He is a special case.  He fixed a race.  That's as bad as it gets.  

[taran]

He is a special case.  He fixed a race.  That's as bad as it gets.  

Bullshit.

Ron Dennis and Frank WIlliams (two F1 icons) fixed the race result in Jerez 1997. Nobody blames them, do they?

[baddog]

Bullshit.

Ron Dennis and Frank WIlliams (two F1 icons) fixed the race result in Jerez 1997. Nobody blames them, do they?

 

It is very different.

 

/What Williams and Dennis did was much worse as it was inter-team which is beyond the pale ;)

//I jest

///mostly

[kumo7]

All these endless talks about 1 is not ready, 2 neither,.... I mean.

Fernando Alonso is going for the WDC this year. Why not the team. Beat Mercedes, Beat RedBull. Renault F1 had achieved it so many times.

[BRG]

Bullshit.

Ron Dennis and Frank WIlliams (two F1 icons) fixed the race result in Jerez 1997. Nobody blames them, do they?

You mean, after Michael Schumacher's failed attempt to fix the race AND the championship?  

[taran]

You mean, after Michael Schumacher's failed attempt to fix the race AND the championship?  

Yes. Just like Briatore did his shenanigans after McLaren was caught with Ferrari IP (under Dennis' leadership or is he allowed to only claim the glory?).

Every team cheats and every team principal has dirty hands. And not because they started out as grease monkeys....