F1: `Renault yet to close the gap`

[Rory Phoulorie]

Monday 7th May 2007

Giancarlo Fisichella isn't expecting any miracles from Renault this weekend, admitting that the team is no closer to Ferrari and McLaren than they were a month ago.

Renault struggled in the opening three races of the 2007 F1 season, failing to finish on the podium never mind a win a grand prix.

And although they went to Barcelona for last week's four-day test determined to close the gap to the Championship leaders, Fisi admitted that wasn't what happened.

"With what we have brought here we have moved in the right direction, but everyone has moved, so we did not make a big jump," Fisichella told Autosport.

"The difference is still the same, we have a big margin to improve.

"But I am confident. We are working hard and we are concentrating to make it better. We are not here to do quick times, just working hard to make it better."

However, quite surprisingly, Fisichella doesn't put the blame for Renault's problems on their new Bridgestone tyres. "Bridgestone is not the problem," he confessed.

"You see McLaren, who also changed from Michelin to Bridgestone, has the fastest car. Maybe at the moment we have not understood (the tyres) enough."

As for what he does believe is the problem, the Roman said: "We lack grip in general.

"The rear end of the car is most difficult under braking, we do suffer from heavy understeer in high speed corners. We lack so much grip that it is hard to maintain the speed to do a good quick time.

"In the last race we were 1.5 seconds behind, which is so big. It is not something we expected, whatever it is, it's is not right. We just have to work harder to solve it."

http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2112363,00.html