A derivative of the Adrian Newey-penned machine is due to reach
STR by the Spanish GP next month, but Giorgio Ascanelli and co may want to see how it goes in the hands of
Mark Webber and
David Coulthard before taking the plunge. Reliability, RBR's bugbear in 2007, appears to have been sorted on the new car, but, although both Webber and Coulthard enjoyed high points in testing, the jury remains out on the team's potential to become a regular threat for points and podiums.
"Our main preoccupation resulting from 2007 was to improve the level of reliability with the package and our advice has been taken into account during the conception of the new car,"
Renault engine guru Fabrice Lom, on secondment at RBR, confirms, "The result seems to be a car that is intrinsically more reliable. This winter we have done well and we have covered many kilometres, and I believe we have made good progress.
"I feel that our package this season is a step forward. In 2007, we worked hard, but the team was still young and our hopes were simply to be able to finish races. For this season, not finishing would be a real disappointment because we have other ambitions. But it is hard to know the relative level of performance of the other teams. What we do know is that the gaps are very small, and we are in for a very competitive year. I think that the battle to reach Q3 will be intense, but we'll have to wait for the first race in Melbourne to have a better idea of the main forces in the championship."
BMW, however, appears to have been hiding its light under a bushel, with reports that it has yet to undertake any real low-fuel running, the indicator of just how fast a car may be. Consequently, it has appeared further down the timesheets than expected, prompting the less well-informed to suggest that the Hinwil team has lost its way.
