Renault "not ashamed" of fighting McLaren
Renault F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul says he is not ashamed that his team is fighting McLaren this year, as he admits his outfit has no answer to its rival in qualifying trim.

On the back of a rollercoaster campaign, Renault looks unlikely to be able to close down the 38-point gap to McLaren for fourth place in the constructors' championship.
But while it means the French car manufacturer will fall short of its pre-season target of consolidating fourth place itself, Abiteboul says the season is proof that nothing comes easy in F1.
"It is a fact that McLaren has done a better car, a better chassis than we have," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. "I am not ashamed of fighting against McLaren. They are still a fantastic team and a great name in F1.
"I think we just need to accept things take time, whether we like it or not. F1 is tough and indeed the fact is that we are getting a better and better understanding of the car and we are capable of improving the set-up, because there is no development of the car, it hasn't moved for a while."
Read Also:
Abiteboul says one of the key things Renault needs to get on top of is why its car is so much better in race trim than it is in qualifying – where McLaren has established itself as the fourth quickest outfit.
"They [McLaren] are way faster than us on Saturday in qualifying, at least half a second, but on Sundays for some reason we are much closer and better than them actually," he said.
"It was the case in the USA, in Mexico and it was also the case in Suzuka, even though it was not so visible because of the starting position and strategy, and also what happened after the race.
"So we know where to focus. But having said, we know that qualifying is where the actual pace and limitation of the car are shown.
"Our car has fundamentally some characteristics that are not pleasant when you are pushing it to the maximum. But in the race, when you are starting to manage, then things are much nicer."
Daniel Ricciardo backed up Abiteboul's view that one of the factors that could be holding back Renault on Saturdays is that its car operates in a very narrow performance window.
"If I watch the onboards, I do feel like if I look at McLaren they seem to be able to get the lap time out of the car a bit easier," said the Australian. "Let's say that window we talk of seems slightly wider for them, and I think that's why in qualy we're not really always able to extract maybe the most out of it.
"In short, it's probably easier for us to make a mistake, or to get the set-up spot on, but then in the race once everything kind of, the pace comes off and you're not on the limit of the tyre really the whole race.
"I think our window expands naturally for the pace, and I think that's why we're able to maybe come back a little bit towards them."

Previous article
Vettel: Hamilton deserves all his F1 success
Next article
Red Bull expects next year to be "most expensive ever" in F1

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Teams | Renault F1 Team |
Author | Jonathan Noble |
Renault "not ashamed" of fighting McLaren
Trending
The updates Williams hopes will lead to a point-scoring return
After producing a car which demonstrated progress but lacked the points to prove it last year, Williams starts its new era of team ownership with the FW43B, its bid to continue the climb up the Formula 1 grid in 2021
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end