Cyril Abiteboul, managing director: Austin was a fantastic event: well organized, great attendance and very passionate fans. Based on last year, Mexico should be a continuation of this and all the team are looking forward to going back. In particular we have lots of off-track activities to fully leverage our presence in the country as Mexico is a strategically important region for Renault. In fact, it's exactly this kind of programme we had in mind when we re-entered the sport as a team owner.

Naturally it would be good to go to Mexico off the back of a more positive race in the States, but we had a relatively muted one. Qualifying was OK, with one car in Q2, but we were lucky with other retirements to finish just outside the top ten. I would have liked to see the drivers fighting with other teams, like we did during our stint in Asia, rather than racing each other for most of the race, but that's how it panned out. We will move on and get the best result possible on the day next time out.

Team Principal Fred Vasseur looks to Mexico, reflects on Austin and talks pit stops and potential.

What are the targets for Mexico?
Fred Vasseur: For all of us, points are the target, as ever. For our engineers and drivers, maximising the use of the tyres and making the most of our potential are the particular goals. For our drivers, it's having fast and consistent performances in qualifying and the race. The Mexican Grand Prix is an impressive event so we want to see impressive performances from everyone involved.

What was your take on the team's performance in the United States Grand Prix?
FV: We showed a decent performance but my expectations are high and I know better was possible. There were areas where we had issues and neither driver drove a perfect race. I really want to see us collectively maximising every opportunity in every regard for the next three races. Next year we clearly should have a more competitive car; this year is about getting to a place where we are confident to maximise our full potential.

The team has made strong progress in operations, particularly in pit stops. Was this one of the goals of the year?
FV: At the start of the season we realised that our on track performance would be limited by the development we could realistically put on the R.S.16. The basis of the package had not moved forward significantly from 2015 so we would always be fighting the tide. However we did think we could make big gains by optimising operations. We have improved in all areas: tyre management, race operations, strategy and also in pit stops. Our mechanics have worked very hard in tough conditions and have had the energy to solidly improve. You can see it in the results and it will continue to pay off next year.

Are the 2017 plans on target?
FV: We are on target with timing. The power unit is already on the test bed and aero is underway. Of course we don't know what the other teams are doing, but we are relatively okay in our own programme. Things are progressing as expected. We will naturally have a rush in the next three months to push to be ready to go testing, but everyone is motivated to get every last tenth they can.

At over 2,200 metres above sea level the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez presents some unique challenges for car and engine alike as Power Unit Technical Director Remi Taffin explains.

What was the approach to Mexico for the first visit last year and what's changed in light of what was learned?
Remi Taffin: When we went there last year we knew that there wouldn't be a big difference in terms or power unit power which would certainly not have been the case if we were using a normally-aspirated engine. The air is a lot less dense, which for a normally-aspirated engine can mean a loss in power of about 22%. With the turbo ICE we have, all that happens is the turbo has to spin faster. The energy recovery and deployment systems are unaffected too.

Aside from power production does the high altitude present problems?
RT: One area you have to pay particular attention to on the power unit side is the cooling as the less dense air is not only less effective for combustion, it's also not as strong on the cooling side too. You maintain the same level of power, so you have to dissipate all the energy. With less effective air going through the ducts there was certainly a question mark last year. Thankfully, our predictions were pretty accurate, so there were no surprises last year, and we're not expecting any this time either. That said, if it's a particularly high ambient temperature we will need to monitor the situation closely as we'll likely be at a very high operating temperature.

What improvements have been wrought since the first visit to Mexico?
RT: For this year we've refined the data to optimise our cooling and turbo use. We have to run the turbo at a much higher speed than anywhere else to make the boost as effective. One thing is for sure, the turbo units used in Mexico will be put on the shelf and not used afterwards as they will get a pretty harsh workout!

Where is the team in terms of power unit usage heading to the final few Grands Prix?
RT: We're not in a bad shape this year in terms of engines as we're on to our fifth now which means we have four which can be used. We'll use the most recently introduced engine which has to do this and the next two races so we're on course not to take any penalties. The ICE does work hard and with the long straight and the less dense and therefore less draggy air the maximum speeds of the cars are in excess of 360kph which is quite something!

Is there anything to fear in terms of performance potential at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez?
RT: There is no reason why we should not see the same sort of performance as seen in the last four or five races. We want both cars in Q2 and we really would like to have another go at getting into Q3 before the season is out.