Renault Sport F1 ready to do battle in Malaysia
The sports division of the French manufacturer specializing in the powertrain of Formula 1 single-seaters is preparing for the second race of the season.
After a very strong start to the championship in Australia for the Renault engines (a victory, a third, and a fifth place), the team from Viry-Châtillon seems ready to repeat the feat for the second stage of the season in Sepang.
That said, the general conditions will be completely different from those on the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. First, concerning the weather conditions: the humid and stormy tropical climate at this time of year in Malaysia makes this Grand Prix one of the most challenging of the season, both for the drivers and for the machinery. Due to the extreme ambient heat, the engines need to be significantly cooled, and the power units are no exception. Especially since the same engine blocks used in Melbourne will be utilized: « The reliability and consistency of the RS-27 will allow all drivers with a Renault engine in Australia to reuse the same one in Malaysia, » noted at Renault Sport F1.
On the other hand, the intrinsic characteristics of the Malaysian circuit also put the engines to the test: with two straights of 850m, the engines are pushed to full power for about 60% of the time, which represents almost two-thirds of the race at 18,000 rpm!
Let’s recall that Renault engines, the last representatives of France in F1, equip Red Bull Racing, Lotus Renault GP, and Team Lotus, totaling 6 cars (25% of the field).
Faced with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Cosworth, the French engine manufacturer seems well-equipped to attempt to replicate the Melbourne performance.
