After a tough start to his rookie
Formula One season,
Nelson Piquet Jr is hoping that finally scoring at the French Grand Prix a fortnight ago will be the catalyst for a stronger team showing from
Renault in the remaining races.
Mirroring predecessor
Heikki Kovalainen, Piquet struggled in the shadow of a more experienced team-mate at a struggling team until mid-season, finally getting on the board at Magny-Cours a fortnight ago, but reckons that that result - where he finished seventh ahead of double world champion
Fernando Alonso - could be a turning point as he battles to keep his place in the line-up.
"It felt great to score my first points as I have been waiting for this moment since the beginning of the year," the Brazilian admitted, "It took a bit longer than I would have liked, but the early races were not easy for me or the team. In France, everything just came together for us – we ran without any problems and improved the car throughout the weekend, and so I was well prepared for the race and felt comfortable with the car.
"Now I hope I can carry this momentum into the next part of the season, starting with the next race at
Silverstone, but this result hasn't changed anything inside me – I knew what I was capable of and that things would come right eventually. I think I will have a stronger second half of the year as I have more experience to draw on and I have learnt an enormous amount from the first eight races. Every second you spend in the car, you learn a bit more, and you become a bit more confident: it's just a natural learning process and it takes time."
Piquet will head to Silverstone well versed in the nuances of the UK circuit, having raced there for a large portion of his junior career, finding success in British F3. With Renault confident that it can again field a point-scoring version of the R28, the Brazilian is aiming to come out on top in the increasingly-heated midfield battle with
Williams,
Toyota and
Red Bull.
