Formula 1: What can we expect from Renault throughout the rest of 2019?

What can we expect from Renault throughout the rest of the 2019 Formula 1 season after an offseason that involved the 2018 “best of the rest” team replacing Carlos Sainz Jr. with Daniel Ricciardo?

The first race of the 2019 Formula 1 season, the Australian Grand Prix, is in the books, and the usual frontrunners finished at the top. However, hometown hero Daniel Ricciardo got off to a bad start after losing his front wing right at the beginning of the race, forcing him to pit and dropping him to the last place. The Aussie made a couple moves at the back, but in vain, as he was later forced to retire due to his damaged car.

Now that the first of the 21 races on the 2019 schedule is in the books and all teams have shown their real pace (hopefully Ferrari haven’t), we take a look at what can be anticipated from Renault throughout the rest of this season.

Renault took a bold step in signing Ricciardo to replace Carlos Sainz Jr. for the 2019 season. This was supposed to be the move that would move them from the “rest” toward the “best”.

With Ricciardo only guaranteed to stay with the team for two years and with Formula 1 owners Liberty Media trying to introduce a budget cap in 2021, the French manufacturer might be running out of time prove themselves to be an elite championship contender once again.

What makes this even more frustrating and challenging for Renault is the pace at which archrivals Rich Energy Haas have developed. The American team might just be on pace to beat Renault in the constructor standings this year and take away the title of “best of the rest”. It’s no secret that the Ferrari engines in the Haas car are superior to the Renault engines.

So here’s the big question: what can we expect from Renault this year? Let’s classify this answer into two categories, driver lineup and car and engineering.

1. Driver lineup

Renault have one of the most experienced driver lineups on the grid at the moment. Nico Hulkenberg is a tested driver with a load of experience. The German, however, has yet to step on the podium and the fact that he hasn’t been able to do that with such a good skillset should easily drive him to give his best every weekend.

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Accompanying the German is, of course, Ricciardo. The Aussie’s move to Renault was very surprising and led to many people to wonder if he had made the right decision to leave Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.

We have not yet truly found out, as he didn’t complete his home race due to his damaged car. But over his time at Red Bull Racing, Ricciardo demonstrated that he is an elite driver and arguably the best overtaker currently in the sport.

But it’s a longshot that Ricciardo will be able to win a race or secure a decent amount of podium finishes this season. However, starting in 11th place with a tire selection could be a dream situation for him, a situation in which he could end up quite frequently this year.

2. Car and engineering

It’s time Renault made some massive changes and/or upgrades to their car. Their pace looked good in preseason testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but they didn’t put on a very good show in the season opener.

In a year when Renault were supposed to be closer to the sport’s top three teams than they have been in recent years, they seem to have slipped below Haas. The Renault engine has had some serious reliability issues over the years.

In fact, customers Red Bull Racing and McLaren have expressed their discomfort regarding these engines, with Red Bull Racing deciding to end their 12-year relationship with the manufacturer ahead of the 2019 season and go with Honda as their engine suppliers.

Not taking suggestions and directions from the superior technical team of Red Bull Racing might prove to be a blunder in Renault’s long-run development. This is one area that Renault should specifically emphasize sooner rather than later, as it may ultimately result in them losing McLaren as a client as well, and thus millions of dollars in revenue.

Renault are on the right path in terms of moving towards the top of Formula 1. However, they are lacking that little spark to improve to and reach their maximum potential within the next two years before the budget cap kicks in. They also have a limited time to convince Daniel Ricciardo and really any other elite drivers out there that they are a reliable team that can compete for both driver and constructor championships.