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Abiteboul: We need collectively to do better after Renault struggle in Australia

Abiteboul: "We need collectively to do better" after Renault struggle in Australia

18-03-2019 10:38
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Cyril Abiteboul was displeased with Renault's results after the first race of the season in Formula 1. His new driver Daniel Ricciardo took his front wing off 100 yards into the Grand Prix while Nico Hulkenberg finished seventh.

Abiteboul knows the team must improve if they're to continue working on their five-year plan to return to the top. Though he claims he expected a dip backwards when they signed Ricciardo.

"We need collectively to do better. It's a learning exercise, as we always say. When you change driver you make some steps backwards before you step forward. That's what we're going through as we speak," Abiteboul told Autosport.

"So it's not the start that he wanted, it's not the start that we wanted, but we know that we can make it so much better and so much easier if we get things right in qualifying."

Despite a weekend full of lows, Abiteboul claims Hulkenberg gave him reason to be cheerful with his seventh-place finish. Those reasons enhanced after a disappointing qualifying.

"It's a good turnaround from qualifying with Nico," he said.

"But I think we need to give huge credit to him - an excellent start, excellent first lap, and then a very good execution from the team in terms of strategy and management of everything that needs to be managed in modern F1 by Nico - tyres, fuel, DRS, energy, you name it."