RENAULT are confident of a positive race weekend as Formula 1 travels to Russia for the fourth race of the season.

The Enstone-based team have picked up two points so far after Nico Hulkenberg’s ninth-place finish in Bahrain on April 16.

The teams stayed at the track for a couple of days testing, with reserve driver Sergey Sirotkin getting his first taste of the R.S.17.

He drove 90 laps with a full programme of aero, tyre, suspension and set-up assessments.

Renault’s sporting director Alan Permane is optimistic the work will pay dividends at the Sochi Autodrome.

He said; “We completed a full programme including evaluations of suspension, set-ups, aero, tyre and wind tunnel correlation work.

“We weren’t chasing particular headline times, rather building a basis for further pace at the forthcoming races and we’re confident that the work done will be highly beneficial in that aim.”