Fisichella has no complaints

The Italian believes that the move can be judged a complete success because it has rejuvenated his career after his difficult spell at Jordan. His form this season - including a fourth placed finish in Canada and a sixth from the back of the grid at Silverstone - were enough to help him land a prime seat at Renault for 2005.

"The best result for me this year was fourth, which may not be impressive compared to some, but all the paddock knows that Sauber is not a works team with unlimited resources," he said. "And in a few of the races, for example, I started from the back and finished in the points.

"These were very impressive results and this is one of the reasons why teams like BMW-Williams and Renault wanted me for next year. That is all thanks to the car that Sauber gave me."

Although Fisichella had some frustration earlier in the season about the pace of Sauber and its tyres in qualifying, progress made by the team in its new Hinwil wind-tunnel allied to developments in rear tyre construction from Bridgestone have lifted its form in recent races.

"We made some big steps forward," said Fisichella looking back on the season. "For the first three races the car was not quick enough. We had to learn how to make it work, the team and me. Then from Imola they really started to do a fantastic job as the wind tunnel at Hinwil became operational.

"With each race there were new aerodynamic components on the car, and we got quicker and quicker. The best part was the new bodywork at Silverstone, which was an especially big step forward. All through the year the team did very well."

The biggest praise that Fisichella has for the team, however, is the way he has enjoyed working in F1 again. His final campaign with Jordan was a troubled affair, as he grew frustrated with the team's financial situation and competitiveness, while before that he enjoyed a love-hate relationship with Benetton boss Flavio Briatore.

Speaking about Sauber he said: "It is a very, very good team. Considering that it is a private team, they did a fantastic job this year. They did good development, and the wind tunnel at Hinwil in which they invested so much really paid dividends. The atmosphere in the team is one of the best I have ever known. I worked with Minardi, Benetton and Jordan and in all of them it was very nice, but here there is less pressure.

"The feeling with the mechanics is fantastic. They really believe in me. The job I did this year was very good and we did some very good races, and I think as a result of all this that 2004 has been one of the best-ever seasons for Sauber and one of the most enjoyable for me."