BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Renault will not introduce its next major step in power unit performance until 2017, the French manufacturer's engine boss Remi Taffin has said.
Updates over the winter and a major step at the Monaco Grand Prix have seen Renault close the gap in power to rivals Mercedes and Ferrari this year, with Red Bull making significant progress up the grid as a result. However, when asked if another big update would come this season, Taffin said the next Monaco-style step would come over the winter.
"I think it will be next year," he said. "The big step we will have will be next year's engine, race one. Until we get to the end of the season now we will be working on the specification we have now, trying to extract the most out it, but there won't be any more let's say big step as we had for race one and six."
Taffin said the positive impact of the most recent updates had been satisfying for the team but there is still a long way to go.
"Where we were coming from was a difficult year last year and now we can see the improvement on track and everything we got out from the factory to the track was working well, so that was a good step forward, either first race or actually Monaco/Montreal specification we introduced. It's all working well. I just have to say we're on it, but we have a good way to go."