With the news that Giancarlo Fisichella will take over from Jarno Trulli at Renault in the 2005 season, team boss Flavio Briatore has spoken out and defended his decision, while at the same time assuring the Italian driver’s fans that the decision to replace the Monaco GP winner wasn’t based on any lack of performance.
"It was a very tough decision because Renault is competitive thanks to Trulli," he explained to the Gazzetta dello Sport. "He is a great test driver, very sensible and intelligent.”
However, where feuding drivers were an issue at the BMW Williams squad, Briatore has admitted that Trulli and teammate Fernando Alonso were maybe too close at times and with the addition of Fisichella, it should help spice up the competition that little bit more and boost Alonso’s motivation.
“We had to act not to fall into a routine. Jarno and Fernando are friends. We need competition within the team in order to improve the performance, in order to motivate Alonso, who at 23 is our man for the future," he explained.
But, that doesn’t mean that Fisichella won’t be right up there with Alonso fighting for the world crown in 2005…
"What we are giving Fisichella is the chance of his life. Next year we expect to be fighting for the title and he will play an important role," he said.
;)
