09/07/2007
NEWS STORY
There's a joke in there somewhere, but we can't be bothered.
Anyway, Spyker isn't the only team hoping for a major step forward when the F1 'circus' arrives in Turkey next month.
A year ago, Renault took victory at Silverstone, giving Fernando Alonso his third successive win at a time when Michael Schumacher was leading the Ferrari revival.
Yesterday, the reigning World Champions had to settle for seventh and eighth, and the indignity of seeing its cars lapped by its former star (Alonso), who went on to finish second to Kimi Raikkonen.
However, the French manufacturer, currently losing ground to BMW in the Constructors' Championship, will not give in without a fight, and plans some major revisions for Istanbul.
Team president Alain Dassas has told Reuters that his team will have a "much improved" car ready in time for next month's Turkish Grand Prix.
"Not the final version but a chassis we should have had at the start of the season," he said.
His comment come at a time when Renault is celebrating its 30th anniversary in F1.
After a weak start to the season, Heikki Kovalainen is beginning to show promise, closing to within three points of his teammate. However, Dassas refused to shed light on whether the Finn will be retained for 2008, though he clearly sympathises with the driver's plight.
"Kovalainen has not yet been able to fully prove himself because we do not have a good chassis," he admitted, "but from Turkey he should be able to prove his worth."