Renault: it's now or never for Fisichella

"If he doesn't find it this year, then I doubt if he ever will," technical director Bob Bell told the Times newspaper on Monday. "This, I think, really is a make-or-break year for Fisi.

"All we can do as a team is have confidence in his ability to rise to the challenge. We will give him the best equipment we humanly can and give him all the support we humanly can and see where that takes us."

Fisichella must take on the role of lead driver at the champions, although both he and Finnish rookie Heikki Kovalainen start on equal terms, because of his years of experience and continuity within the team.

The Roman, who will be 34 next month, has been comprehensively outperformed by Spaniard Alonso in the last two years, with Renault winning both championships but Fisichella triumphant in only two races.

In the same period, 25-year-old Alonso won 14 Grands Prix and two drivers' championships.

Kovalainen, formerly the Renault test driver, is highly regarded and few would be surprised to see him swiftly on Fisichella's pace.

Newly signed Brazilian test driver Nelson Piquet junior, son of the triple world champion and namesake, has already said he hopes to take Fisichella's place in 2008.

Bell warned not to write off Fisichella, however.

"We will certainly start the season working completely on the assumption that Fisi is as capable of winning the world championship as Fernando or anybody else working at that level," he said.

"Fisi is great at coming back. When he has had a bad race, he is good at putting it behind him."

Renault team boss Flavio Briatore also spoke out in support of his compatriot, whose contract extends only to the end of next year, at the Bologna motor show at the weekend.

"Now our team have an enormous motivation to also win without Alonso," Briatore told fans in a meeting arranged by Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Fisico has the talent and everything else to do it. If he doesn't step on it this year, we'll make him do it."