Symonds warns not to write Renault off

Although the French car manufacturer have lost the lead in the constructors' championship to Ferrari, and seen Michael Schumacher close down Fernando Alonso's points margin to two points, Symonds is quietly confident that his team have the situation in hand.

"Some people seem to think Renault is a spent force in this championship," said Symonds. "That is far from the case.

"The team has had a tough month: we threw away a win in Hungary, and events transpired against us in Monza. But had Fernando started from his correct grid position in Italy, we know he would have been fighting for the race win."

Symonds cites the example of last year, where Renault responded from losing the constructors' lead to McLaren to grab victory in the final race, as the perfect example of what his team are capable of.

"We learned last year that momentum and psychological advantage are important, when we struck a decisive blow with our run of wins at the start of the championship," he explained. "But the other thing I remember is the team's response to losing the lead of the constructors' championship in Brazil.

"Losing the lead merely redoubled our resolve to get it back, and we did so in style. That was probably the most satisfying aspect of last season, and the attitude now is 'OK, let's do it again'. This team has the virtue of being very honest with itself. We know where we stand in terms of performance, and we are feeling confident."

And Symonds thinks that the psychological advantage could well rest with his team in Shanghai this weekend - judging by Schumacher's previous poor record at the track and the fact that he is bowing out at the end of the year.

"As always, performance has to be looked at in relative terms," he said. "Shanghai is a good circuit for Renault, and we had a fabulous race there in 2005 when we dominated the Grand Prix and won the constructors' championship.

"But what may be more significant is that Michael Schumacher had two poor races there in 2004 and 2005. That trend could continue this year."

And speaking about the differences between Alonso and Schumacher, Symonds said: "It goes without saying that they are both fabulous drivers and formidable competitors, but I truly do believe that Fernando handles pressure better than Michael.

"Throughout his career, there have been many instances of Michael not performing to his potential when he has been under pressure. And I think the pressure for him is greater than ever in these last three races.

"Previously, he always had the safety net of trying again next year, if he didn't win. There is no 'next year' for him now..."