Renault set for power hike

Given the engine has been Renault's weak link in the past four years, the news that the French engineers have finally managed to design and build a competitive V10 will be a boost to Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella in 2005.

Renault switched to a conventional angle 3-litre V10 engine at the beginning of 2004 (having pioneered a wide-angle V10 when it re-entered F1) and the engine has long been considered the weak link in the package. Now the French manufacturer reckons the new engines, designed to rules that demand them to last two entire grand prix weekends, will put the team on an equal footing with F1's top engine makers.

"In Viry-Châtillon they've done a really great job," a source told autosport.com. "The new engine is smaller, lighter and already more powerful than the units we have here, so we expect to start the new season with quite a lot more horsepower than we had in Brazil. As everyone else seems to be happy to keep the same level of power they had at the end of the season, this should put us in a good position, engine-wise."

According to sources Renault only managed to get 890bhp from its V10 at the end of the 2004, but expects to start the season with at least 940bhp from the new engine. This would compare well with the main opposition, as currently only Toyota, Honda, Ferrari and BMW were in that range with their 2004 engines.

"I know the work that is currently being done by the engine engineers is quite good and I think we'll be in pretty good shape from the engine side," said Fisichella, who is testing for the team at Barcelona for the first time since re-joining from Sauber. "People were talking about massive losses of power because the engines will have to last two GP distances, but I don't think that will be the case. In our case, at least" said the Italian driver, smiling broadly!

There is an air of confidence in the Renault garages in Barcelona despite the unexceptional lap times of Fisichella and Franck Montagny. Fisichella himself praised the work done at the factory, saying, "I've seen the model of the new car in the wind tunnel and it certainly seems very aggressive, very competitive.

"I know this year's car is very difficult to drive - I found it rather twitchy in this first day of testing - but I'm not worried at all about that. The team has learned important lessons with the R24 and has designed a new car to have none of the faults of this year's chassis, so I'm very confident we'll have a competitive and well-balanced car for 2005 and that's all that matters."