Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA
Breaking news

Renault F1 chief accuses Newey of "lies"

Renault's Cyril Abiteboul has outspokenly refuted Adrian Newey's suggestion that the engine is the only reason why Red Bull is not competitive.

Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull Racing

Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull Racing

XPB Images

Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing Chief Technical Officer
Cyril Abiteboul, Renault Sport and Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull Motorsport Consultant
Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing
Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing RB11
Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing RB11
Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing RB11
Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing RB11
Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull Racing

Newey said earlier this month that he saw "no light at the end of the tunnel" with Renault after Red Bull struggled during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

It's difficult to have a partner who lies.

 Cyril Abiteboul

In another sign that the relationship is strained, Renault F1's managing director Abiteboul has hit back at Newey's claims, saying the Red Bull chassis is also to blame for the lack of performance.

"Yes, it's difficult to have a partner who lies," Abiteboul told Auto Hebdo when asked how hard it was to hear Newey declare that the only problem was the engine.

"Adrian is a charming man and an engineer without parallel, but he's spent his life criticising engine partners.

"He's too old to change his ways."

Daniel Ricciardo finished sixth in the race, a lap behind the dominant Mercedes pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

Team boss Christian Horner and Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko were also critical of the Renault power unit.

Package needs improving

Abiteboul said that analysis of the data from the Australian Grand Prix shows that it is the whole package, and not just the engine, that needs improving.

"Our figures have shown that the laptime deficit between Red Bull and Mercedes in Melbourne was equally split between driveability issues, engine performance and chassis performance," he said in Renault's Malaysian GP preview.

"It's therefore the overall package that needs some help and we have been working with the team to move forward."

The Frenchman is confident, however, that progress will be made in this weekend's race as a result of its aggressive development push.

"We've been particularly aggressive in development and we should see the results a lot more clearly in Malaysia, particularly since we have had the opportunity to refine the PU using the data from Australia.

"Work is still ongoing but even now we are in a completely different place to where we finished Melbourne."

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Alonso feeling "ready" but expects tough weekend
Next article Are Red Bull and Renault F1 on the verge of civil war?

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA