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Haas's Steiner: Renault Formula 1 team has a long way to go

Haas team boss Gunther Steiner has been impressed by Formula 1 rival Renault's upturn in form but says it has a long way to go to fight at the front.

Jolyon Palmer's sixth place and first points of the season in the Singapore Grand Prix moved Renault above Haas into seventh in the constructors' championship.

Steiner says Renault is doing a good job, but given the size of the team, which at 600 rivals Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, he feels it should be achieving more.

"They have done a good job," he said. "They are a big company, that's what they should be doing if you compare them with us. It's not a 'wow' factor.

"They do a good job, [but] with all due respect, they haven't caught up with Ferrari. If they catch up with Ferrari and Mercedes you think 'wow'.

"That's something. but they have over 600 people now, so they are almost like Red Bull now.

"They do a good job but they are beating us, they are not beating one of the big ones. They have a long way to go."

The fight for fifth in the constructors' championship is tight, with Williams leading the way on 59, seven clear of Toro Rosso, which closed the gap via Carlos Sainz Jr's brilliant fourth in Singapore.

Renault, which feels it has the fourth fastest car on the grid, is now 10 points adrift in seventh, with Haas a further five back in eighth.

When asked if Haas could expect to reclaim seventh or move any higher, Steiner said it would be "difficult, but not impossible".

He added: "It's so tight together. If we have a good weekend, both cars in the points, all of a sudden you swap again.

"It's not like next weekend, we're going to finish fourth and fifth. But we can swap.

"Toro Rosso scored well in Singapore as well. You always have to push hard."

Zdroj: autosport.com