Welcome to my first column for Crash.net - I hope that I can shed a little light on life in the World Series by Renault and life as a racing driver looking to get that break to Formula One.

We are two events into the new World Series by Renault season, and I think we've had a very positive start. Monza in 2007 was a tough weekend, for both myself and the Fortec team, so to come away with two points finishes and eighth in the championship was a great result - especially considering the fact that I've never had a great result there.

The two races at Monza were just as crazy as last year and staying out of trouble was half the battle. In race one, I made some really good passes and our race pace was really good. It's always good to get the first race out of the way, as I was a little bit 'race-rusty' during the first few laps. It also makes it a bit harder when you're racing against guys who have been doing either A1 GP or Asian GP2 races all winter.

Round two at Spa-Francorchamps followed the next weekend, but our fortunes couldn't have been much different. I got off to a good start by earning a slot in the all-new superpole session, guaranteeing me a top twelve grid spot for Saturday's race, and got away well at the start of the race one - from twelfth.

I passed a few cars up to the first corner but, as I braked for turn one, I made a mistake and collided with Robert Wickens, damaging the front suspension and ending my race there and then. Of course, going out so early in race one impacted on race two, and we had to start from our finishing position from race one - 26th and last!

I had nothing to lose from there, and made a fantastic start, managing to pass a few cars on the first lap and then taking a few more during the race, mainly under braking for the Bus Stop. Even after all that, though, the only chance I had to really make a mark on the race required an appearance by the safety car, and it didn't happen.

Superpole isn't the only new thing in the World Series this year, as we all have brand new cars to play with. Over a lap, they don't seem any quicker, but this is mainly due to extra weight and extra drag. In the high speed corners, the car is really well balanced and, during the pre-season test at Barcelona, the first feeling I got was that the front-end grip has improved from last year. Due to the extra downforce aided by the side skirts, the minimum speeds seem to be up everywhere.

We also have a new wet tyre for this season, but we are still waiting for a chance to use this. For me, the cars are always fun to drive and I think we are all lucky to be able to drive cars like this.

There is a little break in the calendar now until round three, but where better to have it than supporting the Monaco Grand Prix? People always ask whether I feel extra pressure, knowing that I am racing in front of the F1 crowd, but pressure is one of those things that is always on, especially when you're racing in a high-profile championship.