2015 Renault is 'two thirds' new - Taffin

Feb.23 (GMM) Renault has been able to make a substantially new 'power unit' for 2015 after its disappointing start to the turbo V6 era.

That is the claim of the French marque's F1 operations chief Remi Taffin, who countered suggestions the so-called 'engine freeze' means that dominant Mercedes' advantage is now locked in for years.

"During the winter we have really been able to change everything we wanted to," the Frenchman told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3.

"The only limitation has been the number of parts, where the FIA has allocated a certain number of 'tokens' for what you want to change," he said.

It is well known that each of the 2014 manufacturers - Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari - are able to exchange up to 32 tokens in 2015, representing a total of 48 per cent of the entire power unit.

But Taffin explains that, in effect, the tokens equate to even more than that.

"For the existing manufacturers," he said, "we can change a lot of things, whether it is on the engine or the ERS system. In short, we can even build a completely new engine.

"You could say that, compared to last year, we have changed about two thirds of the parts, and certainly we will continue to progress throughout the season."