Renault were a decade behind other teams - Abiteboul

Renault managing director Cyril Abiteboul has claimed that when the French manufacturer relaunched its own works team, they were a decade behind other Formula One teams in terms of technology and investment, but remains positive about the 2018 campaign with Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz behind the wheel.

Renault have a busy 2018 season coming up as not only do they have their own works team to look after, but they will also be providing engine parts for Red Bull again and now McLaren, who have ditched Honda after years of reliability issues.

From 2001 to 2009, the former Benetton and Lotus team was Renault owned before being reacquired in 2016. The French manufacturer won the championships in 2005 and 2006, but Abiteboul has lamented a lack of investment which meant the team could not build for the future even when they were on top.

"There was clearly a lack of investment under previous ownerships," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.

"But also at the end of Renault ownership, in the previous cycle, we really lost opportunities to modernise the place. If you go back into this sort of 2007/2008/2009 period, it was far from being great and it was the start of the lack of investment in Enstone.

"So we almost need to play catch-up since 2007/2008, so that is almost 10 years where F1 has changed completely the universe."

Renault are aiming to compete with the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari once again, and Abiteboul thinks they are slowly but surely bridging the gap.

"We have a big job to accomplish and as far as I can see we are aligned with that," he continued.

"The infrastructure is coming up, people are coming up, the commercial side - I know it is not super exciting, but it is also important to be able to finance that.

"We have had a very successful campaign of acquisition of new partners and they believe in the project, they can see the improvement at the factory but also at the track."