02/01/2017
NEWS STORY
Renault technical boss Bob Bell believes Nico Hulkenberg's arrival will help the team focus.
Other than its all-new engine, much is expected of Renault ahead of its second season back in F1 after buying Lotus.
Handicapped by the eleventh hour purchase of the team from its previous owners, Renault's first season was one of essentially going through the motions, knowing that little could be done about a car in which it had little true input.
However, as the team prepares for its second season, with an all-new engine and its own car, technical boss Bob Bell believes the recruitment of Nico Hulkenberg will have a significant impact on the team.
"Nico will bring a very clear sense of direction in terms of where we need to take the car from a driver's perspective," Bell told Autosport.
"He's not going to tell us what shape to make the front wing," he admitted, "but he'll be very clear about what we need to do to, what characteristics from the driver's perspective the car needs.
"We're moving to different tyres next year and to have someone of his experience will very much help us deal with that transition," he continued. "His experience will help with how to get the best out of them and how to manage.
"So those are two areas where he could play a really critical role. And of course he'll be a focal point for the team to help motivate everybody and pull everybody forward.
"It probably wouldn't have been all that valuable in 2016 to be honest," he admitted, a not to last year's shortcomings. "But this year as we take another step forward, we're now into the territory where we need an experienced driver, one of his calibre to help us get the most out of that step we will take.
"He will help really ground us in terms of our understanding of where we are and what we need to do to move forward. He's going to be a very key element in the season for us."