Renault Formula 1 drivers Sainz, Hulkenberg 'now in big boy league'
Renault Formula 1 drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr are now fighting in "the big boy league" and need to stay on their game, says team boss Cyril Abiteboul

Hulkenberg finished seventh in last weekend's Australian Grand Prix, chasing Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen's battle for fifth and with Valtteri Bottas's Mercedes on his tail.
Sainz claimed the final point in 10th despite issues with his drinks bottle leaving him nauseous during the race, and late pressure from Sergio Perez.
Renault dropped Jolyon Palmer for Sainz near the end of last season.
"It's good to see that we have drivers now under pressure from Bottas and Alonso, and they are handling it," Renault F1 managing director Abiteboul told Autosport.
"They have the hardware to handle it, although obviously it was a track where it's difficult to overtake.
"Carlos was suffering a little bit due to a problem with the drinking system, but I don't think it would have changed anything anyway.
"They need to stay at the top of their games, because now they are part of the big boy league."

Although the works Renault team lost out to customers Red Bull and McLaren, Abiteboul believes that there is more to come from his cars.
"It's a decent start, and a start that gives us confidence and focus," he said.
"Not having had any reliability issues will also allow us to focus on what we have to do on the performance side, to hopefully clear Haas, and also to continue fighting with McLaren, because that's going to be an interesting fight during the season.
"It's in line with the target for the season start, it's in line with our expectations, it's in line with our feeling after the tests, but nothing more."
Abiteboul stressed that the team now has to continue to get everything right in order to achieve its potential.
"It's a sort of demonstration that as we are progressing in the field everything becomes more important, pitstop execution, strategy execution, reliability is a must - and performance," he said.
"There won't be any back-off possible, that's very clear, we will have to push on in all aspects.
"We know we have in the pipeline what's needed both on the chassis side and the engine side.
"So we are coming out of that first race pretty confident about the season to come."

Previous article
Bahrain Grand Prix F1 tyres choices - McLaren goes most aggressive
Next article
Why these are worrying times for British F1 fans

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Carlos Sainz Jr. , Nico Hulkenberg |
Teams | Renault F1 Team |
Author | Adam Cooper |
Renault Formula 1 drivers Sainz, Hulkenberg 'now in big boy league'
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well-aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead on pace. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping
Why Tsunoda can become Japan’s greatest F1 talent
While Japan's fever for motor racing is well-documented, the country has yet to produce a Formula 1 superstar – but that could be about to change, says BEN EDWARDS
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is not guaranteed
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
The themes to watch in F1’s Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK