“Going into your home race at any time is a double-edged sword, particularly so when it's your first time. What I mean by a 'double-edged sword' is that although it gives you that little extra inspiration, you've also got the pressure of the local press, extra attention and high expectation.

“Having said that, I suspect the Brazilian media will be much more focussed on Massa than they are on Nelson, which is no bad thing. Recently Nelson has shown his ability through his results and just as the R28 has taken an exponential improvement curve, so has Nelson. That's what should be dominating his frame of mind as he prepares for his home race.”

The Autodromo Carlos Pace holds a special place in Renault's F1 history as the circuit at which the Enstone-based outfit secured three of its four world championship successes as a fully-fledged manufacturer in its own right, with the drivers' laurels in 2005 and both drivers' and constructors' glory in 2006.

What's more, the French concern has a strong record in Brazil, having taken both pole position and the race win there in 1980 courtesy of Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux respectively. Two years later Alain Prost achieved the rare 'triple crown' of pole, fastest lap and victory.

As a constructor and engine-supplier, Renault has in total prevailed six times in the South American country, with 14 further rostrum finishes and eleven pole positions. Though the top step of the podium may prove to be a little out of reach this weekend, Symonds remains confident, now the pressure is off, that a strong finish to the 2008 campaign is on the cards.

“There is no doubt that during the last few races we've been very aware of Toyota, what they were doing and the tactics we needed to beat them,” he acknowledged. “We are released from that constraint, but the reality is that over the past few races our strategy has been simply about achieving the best possible result – and that is how we will approach the final race of the season.”