Symonds: Kovalainen could win in '07

The Finn steps into the seat vacated by Fernando Alonso and faces a tough task to try and follow in the footsteps of the double world champion.

But despite being a rookie, and having not raced since he finished runner-up in GP2 in 2005, Symonds is convinced that Kovalainen can shine this year.

"He is perhaps a little bit rusty after a year's testing, but I think it is a very natural thing that comes back to him," said Symonds on stage at the Autosport International Show.

"When we are at this stage next year and look back at 2007...we will see that Heikki had some fantastic races. I would not put it past him to win a race this year even as a rookie. It could happen.

"And we will also look at some spectacular mistakes, thinking why on earth did he do that? But that is part of the learning process."

Symonds believes that Kovalainen's strengths go beyond simply being quick in the car, and that his intelligence makes him stand out from many of his rivals.

"Over the years I have worked with a lot of good drivers, and not just Fernando," explained Symonds. "I have worked with Michael Schumacher, Ayrton (Senna), I worked with Nelson Piquet - many world champions and many fast drivers.

"I guess over that time I have started to realise some of the less obvious things that make a driver.  I am really pleased when I look at Heikki that I see so many of them.

"It goes without saying that for a guy to get into F1 he can drive a racing car fast, he can go around corners fast. But these days that is only part of it. I think to be honest it has always only been a part of it, but it is become more and more apparent these days that you need a little bit more.

"You need all your race craft, you need to understand a race, you need to know when to push a car and when to look after a car so it is in a better condition to push at a different stage. What I see in Heikki is an awful lot of intelligence.

"He has been coming to the races with us throughout the last year, and he has been like a sponge. Every Saturday night we sit down together and go through what we have learned, and it is a very exciting challenge actually."

Symonds has also reiterated that 2007 will be crunch year for teammate Giancarlo Fisichella, who will be hoping to prove that his disappointing results over the past few years were simply the result of losing confidence alongside Alonso.

In fact, Symonds believes that Fisichella's future in F1 beyond the end of the season will depend on how strong he is this year.

When asked whether it was a make-or-break year for Fisichella, Symonds said: "I think with employers like us, every year is make or break for any driver we employ. But yes I think it is true.

"Giancarlo is in the latter part of his career rather than the early part of his career, and how long he is able to extend that at the top level is very much down to how things go this year. "