Renault 'realistic' about Australia form

The French squad have been slightly behind rivals Ferrari and McLaren during winter testing, and although they were upbeat about their progress following the final test in Bahrain, the world champions are staying realistic about their pace for the Melbourne race.

Renault won the season-opening race last season, and then went on to take two more victories in the next two races.

"I think we are being realistic about our performance at the moment," said chief of engineering Pat Symonds in a team preview ahead of the first race of the season.

"We know we are not in the same position as we were twelve months ago. But we were encouraged by the results of our final pre-season test in Bahrain.

"There are still areas to work on in order to improve the car, and we know what we have to do. We expect 2007 to be a tough battle - but we are ready for the fight," Symonds added.

"Of course, there is some frustration that we are not out front and leading the field, but it is no more than that. We are pleased with the progress since R27 ran for the first time in January, and feel that things have moved on quite a lot for us - even though we still have some way to go.

"So I suppose it's a slightly mixed mood. But most of all, we are looking forward to getting to the track, and going racing again."

Symonds admits both Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen are disappointed that Renault are not the pace-setters at the moment, but both drivers are encouraged by the progress made by the team since they launched their new R27 car.

"Naturally, I think there is probably some disappointment that we are not right on the pace at the moment, but they have been encouraged by the gains we made recently," he added.

"Giancarlo has been doing just what we asked of him this winter: he has stepped up to the mark, and is giving that little bit extra following Fernando's departure, exactly as we had hoped.

"As for Heikki, I think he is very focused on making a good start to his F1 career. He is confident ahead of his F1 debut, and has done a very good job this winter. The new race weekend format, with extra running time on Friday, will be an advantage for him as he learns the circuits.

"We are all looking forward to seeing him perform in a Grand Prix for the first time."

Symonds insists Ferrari are favourites to win in Australia, with McLaren a bit behind.

Renault and BMW are close behind them, according to Symonds.

"During the final tests in Bahrain, we began to see clearly that Ferrari are ahead of the pack," Symonds said. "After them, McLaren are possibly the second team in the pecking order. And along with BMW, Renault is probably in an equal third position.

"In reliability terms, both Renault and McLaren seem to have enjoyed very good reliability through the winter. But as we always say, testing is only testing. The acid test comes in Melbourne, when we see how it all translates to the race weekend."