Kevin Magnussen thinks regulation changes in 2017 will be Renault's big chance to make progress.
Renault returns to the sport this year as a constructor after buying the struggling Lotus team at the end of 2015. Lotus had to make big cuts towards the end of last year in order to survive and is still building back up to full strength.
Rule changes for 2017 will see a major overhaul of the regulations and Magnussen is hoping his team can capitalise on it.
"A lot of things have been shut down because they were struggling financially," Magnussen said. "They have done it in a clever way to survive so all these things are coming back again and they are expanding in different areas but it will take time to find the right people and for them to work together. Whenever we have the rule changes, 2017 or 2018, that is the big opportunity for us and it will be better."
But Magnussen has been impressed by the attitude of his team after being left on the sidelines by McLaren in 2015.
"It is pure motorsport, pure Formula One. When you go to Enstone you don't see anything that hasn't got anything to do with Formula One. Everyone at Enstone is in F1 so it is very focused and I like that."
It was the first time Magnussen had driven an F1 car since a McLaren filming day last year, at which he said he "was not allowed to take any apexes".
He was reluctant to compare the Renault with the McLaren, but admitted the new RS16 needed work.
"It is a little bit different but it is a long time since I drove the McLaren car so you do forget how it feels a little bit. There are things that I can see are different. We have a lot work to do and some things are better, the base and balance of the car, the characteristics of the balance at least, which is good for my driving style.
"It is easy to drive and predictable but obviously you always need more downforce and power so hopefully it will stay like that when that goes in the car."