The Finn has had an impressive second half to his rookie campaign in the top flight, but ninth place in China brought to an end his run of seven consecutive points-scoring finishes that have seen him vault more experienced team-mate
Giancarlo Fisichella in the championship battle. Though he has never raced at Interlagos before, it is a challenge he is clearly relishing.
“It’s a very physical circuit for the drivers,” said the inaugural GP2 Series runner-up, who will turn 26 in the build-up to the weekend. “The surface is bumpy, and it runs anti-clockwise which means it is hard for the whole body but especially the neck, so I have been training hard to prepare for it and I will be in peak condition for the race.
“In terms of set-up I think the suspension is one of the most important factors. The car needs to ride the bumps well, and also the kerbs in the slow middle sector which we use quite a lot. If you can find a good suspension compromise to give a smooth ride and good mechanical grip, then it is a big plus in terms of lap-time.
“This is our last chance of the year to show what we can do, and that gives me extra determination. You are only as good as your last race in
Formula 1, so it is important to score a good result to take into the winter and hopefully give the team some momentum too. This has been a tough year for everybody at Renault; we have made progress in the last few weeks but we have not been able to show it in dry race conditions.
“I have finished every race this year, and that’s something we are all proud of. Brazil is a circuit where the team has had a lot of success in recent years, and while that doesn’t mean anything for 2007, maybe it can bring us a bit of luck. I hope we can have a normal race, take the fight to
BMW and finish the season with a strong, aggressive drive.”
