Renault on 2020: All about "who pulls the plug first and jumps to 2021"

Ahead of the final year before the major overhaul in Formula 1 regulations, Renault executive Marcin Budkowski has revealed the upcoming season will be all about what teams will stop developing the current car and start focussing on 2021.

2021's regulation changes are arguably the biggest change in recent F1 history, with each team's budget to be capped while the wheel size goes up by five inches and the entire concept of the car is set to change.

To prepare accordingly for a fresh start like this, each team will want to use up as much time as possible to develop their 2021 challenger to perfection. Still, there is a championship to be driven in 2020, so it's all about finding the right balance between developing this year's car while also focussing on 2021 so you don't start the new era on the back foot.

“I think it is going to be a big dilemma," Budkowski admitted when speaking to Motorsport.com.

“We have a plan, I am sure everybody has, and that plan is to shorten development into the season. It is not less development it is just more concentrated development."

The key in 2020 will be when each team decides to stop developing their 2020 car and fully dive into their brand-new 2021 car, Budkowski explained. 

“It is easy to say this now because the season hasn’t started, but at the front it could be quite interesting if the top three are fighting for the championship and it’s going to be a close fight. It is going to be interesting seeing who pulls the plug first and jumps to 2021. Are Ferrari, for example, willing to switch earlier and take a risk that another team will win?

“To be honest it is the same throughout the field. If it is a close fight for fourth, it is going to be a game of chicken about who blinks first, and who transitions first. But I think it is important we don’t get distracted because 2021 is such a big challenge and the margin of progression on the new set of rules is big.”