Renault promises 2014 F1 V6 focus won't harm 2013 programme

As work ramps up on the 1.6-litre turbo V6 engines that will be introduced from the start of next year, Renault says there is no excuse to neglect the V8s.

Renault F1's technical director Rob White told selected media including AUTOSPORT: "For 2013 it has to be business as usual.

"We must deliver to the tracks the engines necessary to go racing. We must provide to the teams the full support to optimise the performance for this year's car, which is different to last year's car.

"And we have to ensure that we don't cock it up and back off too soon."

White says that Renault has continued to push hard over the winter on its V8 programme, including addressing last season's reliability issues, without compromising 2014 preparations.

"There is not a V8 to do for 2014, so already upstream there will not be any longer term work," he said.

"But there will be a lot of work to do on the new 2014 project, which will occupy a greater proportion of the factory based resource than the 2013 engine.

"Obviously this season is the one where the factory-based workload is more critical in the late stages of design.

"We have been in F1 for a long time and one of the lessons we have always learned is that you cannot mortgage the present to pay for the future.

"So we are very committed to succeeding in 2013. The urgencies of 2013 will take over from the important 2014 stuff, but hopefully we have built the foundations of 2013 to ensure we are left without too many surprises."