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Changes At Renault
By Brit Fryer
Posted: 11:00 am PDT 2007-02-04 |
Courtesy Of Wager
Web Sportsbook |
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Sure, Renault lost its premier
driver to a fierce rival at the front the grid, but the team is moving forward just fine,
relying on confidence, stability and its sleek new 2007 car.
Spaniard Fernando Alonso, the two-time defending Formula One world champion, left
Renault for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. So boss Flavio Briatore's two race seats
will be filled by the solid and stable Giancarlo Fisichella and rookie Heikki
Kovalainen.
Fisichella is entering his third season with Renault, and Kovalainen logged some 16,000
miles as the team's test driver in 2006. And Renault's new R27 is supposedly an
improvement on the R26 that won the championship a year ago.
Combine all of those factors, and Fisichella considers himself the rock of Renault. He has
18-1 sportsbook odds to win the F1 title this season.
"My goal is always to push to the limit, to get the maximum from the car and to do
the best possible. That doesn't change depending on who your teammate is," the
Italian said. "But for sure, my experience can be very important during
2007. I am now the third most-experienced driver on the grid, and in a season where other
teams have some big changes, I think that will be important. People shouldn't
underestimate the motivation within the team as well.
"Renault knows how to win races and world championships."
Kovalainen doesn't expect to immediately perform at the level Alonso reached.
"As a rookie driver," the Finn said, "you can only create problems if you
go into your first season talking about winning races, and then you don't deliver."
STRONG MAN: Austrian Christian Klien was cast aside after a two-year stint
with Red Bull Racing, and he has surfaced as Honda's test/reserve driver behind Jenson
Button and Rubens Barrichello.
To prepare for his new role, Klien began the New Year by undertaking extensive training in
the Austrian Alps with his personal trainer, former world karate champion Daniel
Davigile. Klien grew up in the Vorarlberg region of western Austria and naturally
includes alpine activities into his training program.
"I think my fitness levels have to be as high as if I was going to be racing every
weekend this year," Klien said. "I will support Jenson and Rubens during the
team's testing program, but also be available to step into the car if needed during the
season. Racing the car is probably the best way to keep in top condition, so I will be
compensating by training harder than ever."
GRID BITS: Spyker, formerly the Midland team, has a four-man testing lineup that
includes Giedo van der Garde, Fairuz Fuzy, Adrian Valles and Markus Winkelhock.
... Alonso, in McLaren's MP-22, has dominated this week's testing at the Valencia circuit.
"The car is fast," Alonso said. "At the moment, it is going very
fast." Preseason work continues next week at Jerez. Alonso is the WagerWeb.com
favorite to win the F1 again this season. ... Super Aguri finally announced when it'll
unveil its new car. The SA07 takes center stage March 12 in Tokyo.
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