Verstappen should 'focus on his car'

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has hit back at claims from Max Verstappen that the French manufacturer are reverting back to their original 'B-spec' components rather than the new 'C-spec' unit due to altitude issues, saying the Red Bull driver should "focus on his car" rather than engine conjecture.

This week when previewing this weekend's Russian Grand Prix, Verstappen claimed that the new C-spec power unit parts would not be able to contend with the high altitude in the upcoming races in Brazil and Mexico, hence the return to the previous components.

However, Abiteboul has taken umbrage to the comments, saying that every engine always performs worse in altitude.

“I think that any engine performs not as good in a high altitude,” the Renault chief said at the FIA press conference in Sochi.

“I guess the power increase we have seen would have been equal in a track like Mexico. So no I don’t agree with those comments and in general I think Max should focus on the car.”

Abiteboul went on to comment on just how demanding Verstappen can be of his engineers, but believes the Renault squad eventually met the Dutchman's high expectations in the Singapore GP.

“We had a drive-ability issue in Singapore in FP1 and into the weekend, and to a far less extent in qualifying," Abiteboul continued.

"But I think that we have a very demanding user in the person of Max. Not very quiet, also.

“But I think the team has done a great job in order to provide Max what was needed in order to have a good weekend in Singapore, very clear.”

The change back to the B-Spec components will result in Verstappen and his team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo, being given a grid penalty for the GP in Russia on Sunday.

MORE: Verstappen explains Red Bull's Russia engine change
MORE: Hamilton might crash this weekend - Ricciardo