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Renault confident of overhauling Mercedes in title chase
ESPNF1 Staff
September 6, 2010
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Renault is confident of beating Mercedes in the constructors' championship © Getty Images
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Renault is confident it can catch Mercedes in the constructors' championship to take fourth place overall by the end of the season.
Renault has enjoyed steady progress with the development of its R30 this year while Mercedes has struggled for performance at recent races. At the Belgian Grand Prix Robert Kubica took the team's third podium of the season, after the successful introduction of the F-duct gave him one of the most competitive packages at Spa Francorchamps.
Technical director James Allison reckons Mercedes is still within Renault's sights and is confident the car will be quick at the final six rounds.
"We're currently 23 points behind Mercedes so we've got to take four points off them in each of the remaining races," he said. "We only managed to take three points out of their lead in Spa, but I'm hopeful that, if we can maintain our current level of competitiveness, we can start finishing ahead of Mercedes with both our cars. If we can achieve that, and race effectively with no reliability issues, we stand a good chance of catching them by the end of the year.
"By this stage of the season any sensible team will be spending most of its time working on next year's car, and we are no exception. However, we've still got a few more upgrades to come before the end of the season, although it's fair to say they will not be as significant as those we were brining to the car at the start of the year."
Robert Kubica expects Renault will be competitive at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, but is aware that the F-duct will have less of an effect when combined with a low-downforce aero package and said his team might not use it at all.
"Spa was a good example of how powerful the F-duct can be and we were immediately more competitive and closer to the front when we fitted it," he said. "The effect will be less powerful in Monza because the cars run with less drag, but there will be still be an advantage, so we need to see which teams use it and if we are able to as well. This circuit can sometimes throw up some surprises, so I prefer to stay cautious when it comes to predictions. But if the car feels as good as it did in Spa, then there's no reason why we won't be competitive in Monza."
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