Renault encouraged by R26 reliability

The World Champions unveiled the R26 at the Spanish circuit, and the car ran without problems during the four days of the test at the hands Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Renault, in fact, were the only team not to cause any red flags during the four days of the test.

"Last week was primarily a reliability test, to check that all the parts on the car were functioning correctly," said Bell. "It was a great feeling of satisfaction to complete over 1,000 km without any serious incidents."

The new V8 engine, the last unit of the field to make its track debut, also run flawlessly and Bell believes the decision to delay its first test paid off.

"I think it is a measure of how well the team has worked on the project, and of the close integration between the engine and chassis teams, that a brand new engine ran so well on its debut," Bell added.

"We focused closely on the detailed design, did our homework on the dyno, and worked hard to ensure the engine had no problems when it hit the track."

And although the initial test focused on reliability rather than performance, the team were also encouraged by the new car's pace.

"That [performance] was not our priority," said Bell. "The drivers were both cautious because the number of spare parts for the car is currently limited, so we couldn't afford any 'offs'. Even so, the initial signs seemed very positive in terms of the car's performance."

Renault will not be joining their rivals in testing at Jerez this week, but will return to action at Barcelona next week.

"We planned this down-time in order to deal with the many small problems that arise in the first week of running. It gives us time to put proper solutions in place, that will hopefully ensure the rest of our winter testing is as effective as possible."