Formula One news

Renault to confirm driver duo next month

Renault is planning on revealing its 2008 driver line-up around the time of the Italian Grand Prix in mid-September. Team boss Flavio Briatore says he still needs another three to four races to evaluate the performances of Giancarlo Fischella and Heikki Kovalainen before deciding their respective fates.

Neither driver's future at the team is safe with Fischella's one-year extension deal coming to an end at the close of the year and rookie Kovalainen failing to properly cement his place in the team despite a mid-season upturn in form.

One of the pair could possibly be shown the door to make way for Briatore's protégé Nelson Piquet Jnr., who has been testing for the team this year and will be eager to gain promotion to racing status in 2008. It has happened twice before in the past five years that Renault has promoted its test driver of one season to race driver - Fernando Alonso in 2003 and Kovalainen in 2007 - suggesting that this might be a favoured policy of the Enstone-based oufit.

When asked about whether Fisichella will be retained for next season, Briatore remained tight-lipped: "I have never bet on anything in my life, so I'm not betting about Fisichella. I don't know. I have three or four races to see what is going on."

After a disastrous debut in Australia, Briatore openly criticised rookie Kovalainen for his poor performance but the Finn has since turned things around with some solid displays.

"We started in a difficult way with a difficult car," Briatore conceded. "But I wanted to see the performance of Heikki as well and then I try to choose the best for my team in the future."

However, Briatore has left it to the drivers to decide for him and says that only the results over the next few races will influence his decision.

He added: "At this moment I am thinking I will decide in September around Monza time, I don't want to decide before. It is only the result that makes me decide yes or no in the future."

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