Renault boss admits to tough season

Renault had hoped a revolutionary new engine would help catapult the Anglo-Italian team back to winning ways within a couple of years, but all they have managed to muster is a lowly seventh place in the constructors' championship.

"As we said at the start of the season, we expected 2001 to be a season of preparation for our return in 2002," said Faure. "But to be fairly honest we didn't expect the beginning of the season to be as difficult as it has been.

"The difficult experiences we had at the beginning of the season was probably because we underestimated how difficult it would be to come back at the top in Formula 1 after three years out of the sport.

"We have found that the technology, as well as everything else, has tremendously changed in the last three to four years and that has meant us lagging behind."

Faure, however, is not downbeat and believes that recent improvements will see the team end the season on a better note.

Both Giancarlo Fisichella and Jenson Button collected points at the German Grand Prix last month and Italian Fisichella has put his car on the fourth row of the gird for the Belgian Grand Prix - the team's best qualifying performance of the season.

"I think we are improving going by what we have seen in Hockenheim, Belgium and in testing," he continued. "We could still reach our goal, which was to finish at the end of the top half of teams. I think that we have put things right and are now on the right track, although we have to keep this going to get the results in 2002."