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Renault's Nico Hulkenberg says the team must ask itself some "serious" questions during the summer break after a lacklustre first half of the 2019 season.
The Enstone squad, who finished fourth last year in the championship, is currently sixth in the standings 43 points down on fourth-placed McLaren.
At the last four races, Renault has scored points at one of the Grand Prix, with Daniel Ricciardo and Hulkenberg crossing the line in 7th and 10th respectively.
"The car was quite difficult to drive again today," Hulkenberg said at the Hungarian Grand Prix. "The balance didn't really work for us today so it was fighting with the front axle and the rear axle and we just didn't have the pace, but with these things you just can't expect too much.
"It's a tough one. It's quite below obviously our expectations and out targets so I think we need to ask ourselves some serious questions and review a couple of things internally but yeah, there's been far more lows than highs.
"[We need to look at] how we go about things. From the last eighteen months to the car to what we have been doing and the effect all this has. We just need to ask ourselves how we will go about things in the future.
"We need to make sure that whatever updates we bring forward will bring some yield and manage to bring us forward."
Hulkenberg 'not ready' for Formula E switch
Hulkenberg's future at Renault is not yet certain, as his current contract with the team expires at the end of the season.
The German says he is still focused on Formula 1, and is not yet interested in making a full-time switch to a different series, such as Formula E.
“I’m not ready for Formula E yet," he said. "I like what I’m doing. It will obviously depend on the opportunities available, but for now, I’m focusing exclusively on Formula 1.”
Grand Prix of Belgium
C. Sainz jr
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Replies (4)
Login to replyf1ski
Posts: 726
What works in racing is a scientific method. "systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses"
Mercedes and RBR use this. What is obvious to me is that the French method Renault and formerly McLaren (Boullier) doesn't work it is the this is how we do it and it is right method. The italian method doesn't work either it looks fast sounds fast it must be fast . The last couple years they have taken off down force to be faster only to be slower. The italian method is similar to the french.
Pistonhead
Posts: 556
A brilliant precise of the competing philosophies - well done !
Kean
Posts: 692
They should take a page out of Zak Brown's book. Poach some good engineers and fire Abiteboul.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Amen, especially in terms of firing Abiteboul. That dude is probably the most toxic person on the grid aside from Marko, and you don't want to be compared to that Abyssal Being whom veils himself in a miasma of taurine and caffeine.