Fisichella's role vital to help Renault

Giancarlo Fisichella thinks he has a vital role to play in helping world champions Renault recover from their disappointing start to the campaign

The French car manufacturer have failed to finish on the podium so far this year, with their new R27 suffering from a lack of grip and inconsistent handling.

Despite the problems however, Fisichella believes he must show that he is as determined as the team to turn things around - and thinks that the role of the driver in such a situation is far from diminished.

"I think it is more important than ever in fact," Fisichella told the official Renault website. "I have been in this situation before in my career, and the driver can really make a difference motivating the team.

"I cannot find the technical solution instead of the engineers, but it is important to lead the team with a good example.

"They know that when I go out on track, I am pushing the car to the limit and getting everything out of the package; and I know that behind the scenes, everybody from the mechanics to directors are working 100% to improve the car."

Fisichella says that work on curing the R27's problems is continuing at the team's Enstone base.

"That is what the team is working hard on at the moment - understanding the problems, and then fixing them, one by one," he said. "In Formula One, it is very rare that you find simple solutions, and you need to work through everything in a logical way - otherwise you end up with more questions than answers.

"As drivers, we can feel that the car lacks grip, and is inconsistent to drive, but it is then down to the engineers to understand what is causing the problems - and how to solve them.

"I was at the factory last week, and I know everybody is working flat out on that process, as well as continuing with the development of the car."