Before the Austrian Grand Prix weekend Renault F1 chief Cyril Abiteboul talked up a 'qualifying-mode' that was allegedly activated in the current spec power units, but when their drivers 'pushed the button' there was nothing there.
Both Renault works driver - Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg - who qualified ninth and tenth respectively hardly felt the impact of the supposed 20 bhp boost that Abiteboul boasted about.
Hulkenberg told reporters afterwards, "You don't notice a bit more performance. Something more significant needs to happen, so that it can be noticed."
"I don't even know what you're thinking, or what you've been told, what we've got. That's not earth-shattering, I can tell you that much," explained the German.
Red Bull have lacked horsepower all weekend and when Q3 came along the qualy-mode was also ineffective as Max Verstappen's best effort was seven-tenths short of the top time. In Q1 he was a couple of tenths shy of the screen topping time. When it mattered they were lacking half a second or so.
The newest member of the Renault 'family' endured another miserable qualifying. Neither Fernando Alonso or Stoffel Vandoorne were beneficiaries of the much needed qualy boost. Alonso was 14th and Vandoorne 16th.
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