Piquet focused on Renault job

The Brazilian driver, runner-up to Lewis Hamilton is last year's GP2 championship, will be Renault's test driver in 2007, working alongside compatriot Ricardo Zonta as well as racing drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen.

Piquet, whose father and namesake won three titles, has admitted his intention is to race in Formula One in the future, but the young Brazilian says for now he is focused on his job as a tester.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself," said Piquet. "When you arrive in Formula One, everything you say is picked up, and it is easy to arrive and create the wrong impression. Obviously, it is my ambition to get into to Formula One - I am a racing driver, so that is perfectly normal.

"When that opportunity might come, and where, I don't know at the moment, but I am excited to be starting out at Renault - the world champion team.

"But I have a job to do, and a lot of things to learn. We have seen in recent years that Renault doesn't just take a gamble on drivers, they make them work very hard and learn the job.

"That is my priority to 2007: to show I can make a good contribution to the team and its success. Then we will see what happens."

Piquet, who was the first man to drive the new R27 car during a short test at Silverstone, will be in action at the Valencia circuit from today.

Eight teams are testing at the Spanish track this week.