Renault boss hails Fisichella

Renault director of engineering Pat Symonds has hailed Giancarlo Fisichella’s performances in this season’s under-performing R27 car.

Fisichella’s stock has fallen considerably recently after the Italian was comprehensively outclassed by now-departed double world champion Fernando Alonso in identical race-winning machinery in 2005 and 2006.

However, Fisichella’s ability to wring the maximum out of a midfield-running car has once again come to the fore this season, the 34-year-old coming home in the points at each of the season’s first three races.

His efforts have rekindled memories of his sterling efforts in the 2001 Benetton, when Fisichella blew away team-mate Jenson Button in a car that struggled for power due to a troublesome wide-angle engine.

Symonds said: “Giancarlo has been very impressive so far this season.

“A lot of our esteem for him is rooted in the way he handled our 2001 season (Benetton changed its name to Renault F1 in 2002), when he put huge effort into making the most of a difficult car.

“We are seeing something similar this year. The R27 is a hard car to drive consistently, but in spite of this, he has driven very consistent races.

“He has taken the car to the limit of what it is currently capable of, and contributed in every way he can to helping resolve our current problems.

“We couldn’t ask any more of him.”