Prost not fazed by reliability and Ricciardo problems

Renault have failed to finish in four of six possible Grand Prix so far and Alain Prost believes that the team’s reliability issues are “unavoidable”, with both Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg suffering two retirements each this season.

Hulkenberg started the season well, finishing sixth in Australia but has since been forced to retire twice in Bahrain and China, whilst Daniel Ricciardo didn’t see the chequered flag in his opening two races for Renault before coming seventh in China.

Despite the reliability problems of the MGU-K Prost believes the team are “pretty close to the limit”.

"We know we're pretty close to the limit right now," Prost told Sky Sports F1.

"Reliability problems are sometimes unavoidable, it's part of the game and we have to accept that.

"We will once again be one of the best engines in Formula One.

"Nobody talks about it, but we have the data, we'll do it step by step and we'll make it.”

As well as not being fazed by the reliability problems, Prost isn’t concerned by Ricciardo’s form for his new team insisting: “It is inevitable that such things appear - I told him so.

“Red Bull's philosophy is quite special, and it's difficult to be in a new team.”