Cyril Abiteboul excited for the "new energy" of Esteban Ocon
F1 News
Renault F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul says he is looking forward to have Esteban Ocon as part of the team in 2020, saying the signing will give the team a different set of ideas. Ocon joins at the expense of Nico Hulkenberg, who finds himself without a seat for the first time since 2011.
Ocon missed out on F1 last year as he was edged out at Racing Point, and he will start afresh at Renault in 2020, having distanced his ties with Mercedes.
Abiteboul told Autosport: "It's another dynamic. He will push us in a different way, a new energy, a new aggression; in my opinion a fully positive one, coming also with a different set of experiences having worked with Mercedes.
"So it's good, but at the end of the day we can do lots of things with drivers, but what needs to be better is obviously the racing car."
How good can Renault be in 2020?
It's obviously too early to say how any team will fare in 2020, with plenty of unknowns about the season. However, Renault are expected to once again be at the top end of the midfield, but their target of podiums could still be a distant reality.
Finishing fourth in 2018, the French squad were outclassed by McLaren last season as they were relegated to P5 in the constructors' standings. However, with an exciting driver line-up, Renault have the potential to spring some surprises!