Renault confident Kovalainen will fill the gap

[davewilson]

Heikki Kovalainen is yet to make his formula one debut but Renault are pinning their hopes for the future on the young Finn following the world champion Fernando Alonso's move to McLaren.
Giancarlo Fisichella, the 34-year-old veteran of 177 grands prix, will assume the mantle of team leader this season by virtue of his experience, but Renault insiders see Kovalainen as the true heir to Alonso, the winner of two world titles with the team who yesterday unveiled their new R27 challenger in Amsterdam.
"I am very excited about the new season," said the 25-year-old Kovalainen, who was runner-up to Nico Rosberg in the 2005 GP2 championship. "But I know that so far, I have achieved nothing at all. I pushed myself very hard last year in testing, to show the team that I was capable of doing the job. They had faith in me, and now it is my turn to deliver on that promise. It is a big privilege for a rookie driver to start his career in a race-winning car, and I am focused on doing it justice. This will be a season where I have a lot to learn, and I need to keep mistakes to a minimum."
Although he may be a rookie in formula one terms, Kovalainen has completed over 18,600 miles in testing during recent seasons and endorsed his racing credentials as a member of the Renault Driver Development programme since 2002.

Fisichella added: "The spirit of the team is strong after two fantastic seasons, and we are feeling optimistic. The team knows how to design winning cars capable of fighting for the championship."

The overwhelming mood within the Renault squad reflects a measured confidence that they can maintain the delicate balance of performance and technical durability which has yielded 17 grand prix victories over the past two seasons.

"This is no year of transition for us," said Flavio Briatore, the Renault formula one managing director. "We have always said that the team is what matters, and that success comes from the team spirit that unites us. There are some big changes for this season, not just at Renault but throughout the grid. We believe in our choices, and we are confident that they will help us achieve more success in 2007.

"It will be a year of tough competition at every level. Those are the conditions that allow the best teams to shine, and that is exactly what we intend to do."

Fisichella and Kovalainen will be supported by two newly recruited test drivers in Nelson Piquet Jr, who finished second to Lewis Hamilton in last year's GP2 championship, and Ricardo Zonta, who brings with him valuable experience on Bridgestone tyres after fulfilling a similar role with the Toyota team.


The Stig