Renault to bring new front wing to Suzuka

Renault will arrive at the Suzuka Circuit with a revised front wing as it aims to make further improvements this season.

The Enstone outfit is currently fifth in the constructors' championship, 33 points down on McLaren, who has headed the midfield for much of the 2019 season.

In an attempt to catch up with McLaren late on into the season, Renault has opted to bring a new front wing for the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

"The drivers enjoy Suzuka as it’s a good, old school racing track," said chassis technical director Nick Chester.

"Many regard it as one of the best tracks on the calendar. It’s very long at 5.807km, with lots of elevation changes, long straights ending in tight chicanes or hairpins and interesting corners.

"It’s a challenge to get right, requiring strong front-end grip for Sector 1 with high speed change of direction but with enough stability to give driver confidence.

"We are bringing a new front wing to Suzuka. We also have a new chassis wing - externally the changes are pretty subtle, but we expect more downforce and grip as a result."

Daniel Ricciardo previously stated that he believes Renault can still finish ahead of McLaren despite the few races left to run this year.

Teammate Nico Hulkenberg, who will leave the team at the end of the season to be replaced by Esteban Ocon, shares Ricciardo's optimism of concluding the season in fourth place. 

"It’s obvious we missed out on points in Singapore and Russia and that’s frustrating given our competitive pace and qualifying positions," Hulkenberg said. "We’re still in the battle for fourth.

"Our Sunday’s especially have to be cleaner, but that’s down to a range of factors: on my side, on the team’s side and some things we can’t control. We have to target big points in Japan."