Q&A with Jean-François Caubet (Renault Sport F1)

Two Renault engines were on the podium in Australia, you must be very pleased with how the event went?

Absolutely, to win the first race of the year is a fantastic result, but to have a third engine on the podium is a perfect start. We were confident of the performance and reliability of the RS27 engine and it is now borne out by the results. Renault remained in F1 to show its technical capabilities and high level of performance and this result completely justifies the board’s decision.

Australia was Renault’s first race with three teams. How did the weekend go for you?

We were always confident that we could supply three teams and achieve success, and although one race doesn’t necessarily equal a championship, we are certainly very happy with how each relationship is progressing and how the overall RSF1 team is working. We know we already work well with our long-term partners, Red Bull Racing and Lotus Renault GP, and we’ve already established a very strong working relationship with Team Lotus. There’s a great atmosphere in the team and the engineers on both the team and engine sides have established a good basis for the future.

Are you confident that Renault can maintain its service to clients throughout the season?

We are a relatively small team at Viry, only 250 people, but we are 250 people entirely dedicated to the development of F1 engines and to the service of our clients. This size also means we are very adaptable as the lines of communication are simple and working procedures quick to implement. The fact we scored 50 points alone from the first race shows we’ve got a good foundation.

Will your partner teams be using KERS this race?

The KERS system is an extremely complex one, with RSF1 providing some of the architecture of the system and the partner teams certain systems and data. As such, it’s a decision that will be taken in consultation with each of the teams.