McLaren hopes to 'influence' Renault F1 engine

McLaren's aerodynamics boss has tipped the British team to have a successful relationship with Renault. This week, Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul warned that, as a customer, McLaren will not be able to influence the development direction of the engine for now.

But Peter Prodromou knows what life as a Renault customer is like, having been a leading player at Red Bull in the Sebastian Vettel era. "The relationship was very positive and extremely fruitful," he is quoted by Spain's AS newspaper.

"And part of the success was not only attributed to Milton Keynes but also Viry," he explained. "For instance, the diffuser is something we worked on very closely together. I hope we can replicate that relationship at McLaren now," said Prodromou.

"It's different of course and we are customers. But over time I think we can work closely and forge strong relationships in which we can influence some of the work they do, and we'll get the additional benefits that come from a relationship with a manufacturer," he added. (GMM)