Piquet: Briatore won't allow drivers rift

Alonso is rejoining the French squad after leaving the McLaren team two years ahead of the end of his contract after an uncomfortable season with team boss Ron Dennis and British driver Lewis Hamilton, who enjoyed a sensational debut season.

Piquet will be making his debut this year, but the young Brazilian says he has no intention to upset his team, and claims he is ready to play the waiting game.

"I don't know for sure, but I think one of the problems was their team boss not being able to control the drivers," Piquet told reporters about the McLaren situation during the launch of the R28.

"I think Flavio is perfect at knowing how to put the drivers in their own place and knowing how to talk to us and tell us how to focus on the right things. So I don't think we will have a problem. I think Flavio won't allow it."

He added: "I think the press puts a lot of pressure that they don't need to put, as if I had to prove something. But I think I just need to do my job.

"I think it's much worse for me if I going into a fight because, first of all, I'm in a team where Fernando won two championships. I'm in a team where Flavio loves Fernando, they've been together for a long time. So I think it would be a stupid thing to do if I went into a fight.

"So I think the best thing I can do is learn as much as I can and the day I have a chance to win a race I'll win a race."

Although 22-year-old Piquet admits he will have a lot to learn, the Brazilian says he will have the same equipment as Alonso.

"There's no number two or number one," he said. "Both cars are exactly the same. It's a sport where investments are 100 hundred million, 200 hundred million dollars and they wouldn't make a car that's worse than the other.

"I think for sure in the beginning I'll be learning much more than anything else. I think once I get in the rhythm, once I show that I'm able to set his pace then it's going to be a different story but at the moment all I have to do is learn and learn and once I'm able to show equal pace I think that will be a different story."