Fisichella: win shows potential

Giancarlo Fisichella is looking forward to a successful season with Renault this year, after winning the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in dominant style on his return to the team.

Fisichella had luck to thank for his first Grand Prix win in Brazil in 2003, and he was given a lucky break for Sunday's race when weather worked in his favour in the first qualifying session.

But the Italian driver did not put a foot wrong as he led from start to finish and after cruising to the chequered flag he insisted Renault will continue to live up to the pre-season hype about the team's title chances this season.

"It is completely different (to my first win),"said Fisichella, who took his first GP victory in the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, but was only declared the winner a week after the race. "It was a great day for me, a fantastic race, I was conservative and I didn't push. This is the best part of my career, to win the first race of the season is great."

"I know this is just the first race but already we have fantastic potential. I felt it the first time I drove the car and it was easy to drive, so we need just to work on it, carry on with development and try to win again."

Fisichella took it easy from the off as he held a comfortable gap to initial second-placed driver Jarno Trulli then kept Scot David Coulthard's Red Bull Racing car at long distance before Rubens Barrichello moved into second spot.

The Ferrari driver moved into the runners-up spot after the final set of stops and began to push Fisichella but the Italian had plenty in reserve to maintain the gap and ease his way to the finish.

"Rubens was catching me at one point so I drove a bit faster but the car was great, had good balance and the tyres were consistent from beginning to end," he said. "I would like to thank all the mechanics and the whole team.

"For the first part of the race I was conservative so at the end the car was still really, really good, in fact the last five or four laps I did my quickest lap of the race.

Team-mate Fernando Alonso also finished on the podium and Fisichella added: "I am happy for Fernando to finish third and that is a great result for the team. I am really confident for the rest of the season."

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- The Autosport.com Team

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