Technical director Andrew Green, in an interview with Motorsport.tv's The Flying Lap, says the same "injection of funds" that allowed it to accelerate development in 2017 has allowed it to build this knowledge. 

"It made a real difference, not just for 2017 but we [also] did a huge amount of work for next year as well, trying to understand directions to go in," says Green. 

"It allowed us to do that, which we've never been able to do before. 

"We've always started the following season with roughly the same amount of knowledge that we finished the year before. 

"Next year, we don't.  We managed to bring so many new parts and development parts to the car to try and increase our understanding during the winter." 

Green also says the team was boosted by being able to bring so many upgrades during the season. 

"We were bringing parts to the track, significant changes to the car, every race," says Green. 

"It really motivated everybody back at the factory to see that the parts they are working on can get to the track so quickly."