Wins are Unlikely, Says Briatore

Renault team principal Flavio Briatore poured cold water on suggestions on Sunday that the French carmaker would be among the Formula One winners this season.

"No way, it's like expecting to go have lunch on the moon. We are not there," he told reporters at the launch of the French carmaker's 2002 challenger.

"Only a dreamer believes that we will win races in the condition we are in. No way.

"To win you need at least a 50 percent chance of being first when you start the race. This is winning," said Briatore, who oversaw Benetton's success in the 1990s.

"We need a year to really consolidate the team. The people are there."

Patrick Faure, the team's chairman and head of Renault motorsport, agreed with Briatore's assessment and said they were targeting fourth place in the Championship in their first season back as a constructor.

Renault bought Benetton in 2000 and this season will be their first since 1985 under their own name.

"I think we have a reasonable chance to reach the target," he said. "We want to be close to the first three.

"Knowing what we have in reserve for developing the power of the engine, we think we can close the gap. Not completely but quite a lot within the next six months."

"You can always win by chance but in regular conditions I don't think we can really have victories this year," he said. "We are too far behind.

"We need at least one year to progress really strongly but anything can happen, good or bad."