Renault hope Piquet can build on points

Piquet had endured a difficult start to his rookie campaign, which prompted rumours he could be dropped by the team before the end of the year.

But his seventh placed finish at Magny-Cours, where he finished ahead of Fernando Alonso, has eased the pressure on him - and left his team hoping for more over the rest of the year.

Renault technical director Bob Bell said about Piquet's French performance: "I think that Nelson did a very creditable job and he kept improving throughout the race weekend.

"In the practice sessions on Friday he was quite a way off Fernando, and yet by the end of the weekend he was right up there with him and ultimately brought home more points.

"So it was a really positive weekend for him, which is great for his self-confidence. Hopefully it will act as a launch pad for the second half of the year as we travel to some of the European tracks that he has raced on before. I think this is a real opportunity for him to show his true colours."

Piquet himself has said that he hopes the French GP result marks the start of a new chapter for him.

"I hope I can carry this momentum into the next part of the season, starting with the next race at Silverstone, but this result hasn't changed anything inside me - I knew what I was capable of and that things would come right eventually," he explained.

"I think I will have a stronger second half of the year as I have more experience to draw on and I have learnt an enormous amount from the first eight races. Every second you spend in the car, you learn a bit more, and you become a bit more confident: it's just a natural learning process and it takes time."

Renault are hoping to introduce some updates to their R28 for the British Grand Prix, although Bell is fairly confident about the team's chances for the race.

"I think we're pretty upbeat about Silverstone," he said. "It's a medium / high down force track with some high-speed corners - a bit like Barcelona - and the R28 has generally gone well in this configuration.

"You need good change of direction; good traction; good high-speed performance and so I think it will suit the strengths of the car. And having tested at Silverstone last week we should be able to dial the car in quickly to the circuit and find a good set-up."