15/09/2004
NEWS STORY
To paraphrase a TV commercial that's currently highly popular in the UK, let's remember that today's test at Silverstone is just that, it's only a test, not a shoot out.
If it is to reclaim the runner-up spot in the world championship, Renault has to rediscover its form from earlier in the season.
Up to and including the French Grand Prix, Renault had scored 71 points, only once failing to finish in the points. Since Magny-Cours the Enstone based outfit has scored just 12 points, failing to finish in the points on three occasions.
The runner-up spot isn't merely about money - though the difference, between second and third is considerable - it is about status and prestige, especially if you are in the business of selling motor cars to the general public.
Certainly, the hiring of Jacques Villeneuve will be a massive PR coup for the French team, following a string of poor results. But this isn't about scoring brownie points, it's about scoring world championship points, and clearly Renault feels that JV is the man to do this.
Egos and baggage must be left at the door, this is about team work, determination, hard work and perseverance.
Jacques has been given a rare opportunity, a chance not only to prove what he is truly capable of (no pun intended), but to take sweet revenge on his former employer.
That said, don't look for miraculous test times at Silverstone today. The thirty-three-year-old, will be a little 'rusty' and in an unfamiliar car, in notoriously changeable weather conditions.
Let's not add to the JV's burden by expecting instant miracles.