Renault defend winter testing approach

Unlike rivals like McLaren, Toyota, Williams or Ferrari, Renault have decided to start winter testing with their 2005 car fitted with a restricted V10 engine.

The other teams are already working with their V8 units and, except in Toyota's case, fitted to hybrid cars based on last season's models. Toyota were the first team to launch their 2006 machine, which is being tested at Barcelona this week.

Briatore says Renault don't see the point in running a hybrid car.

"The 2006 car is on time, it is certainly on the engine side we are five days ahead and looking very good," Briatore said. "We don't intend to test with a hybrid car because we don't see any sense in doing so, we want that when Giancarlo and Fernando really begin testing again that it is with a definitive car with a V8 engine again."

Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella says he would prefer to have the new car ready by now, but is still confident Renault's approach will pay off like last season.

"The best thing to do is to have the car as soon as possible, but sometimes it is better to not take it easy but take the time to build the car perfectly, and they are quite optimistic," said the Italian.

"Even last year we ran with the new car in January and we won the Championship, so we are quite optimistic anyway - even if we run with the engine just I think on January 10. It is better if you run already now with the new car but if it is reliable then there is no problem running later at all."