Nelson Piquet Jr has once again played down concerns that he will not get along with Renault teammate Fernando Alonso in 2008.
After twice world champion Alonso’s relationship with Lewis Hamilton last year led to his unplanned departure from McLaren, some observers forecast that his new pairing with the often surly Piquet could lead to similar conflict this season.
“I do not believe that anything like that will happen,” the 22-year-old Brazilian told Spanish newspaper Diario AS.
“Fernando’s problem at McLaren was that the team manager was more interested in Hamilton winning. The same thing will not happen here.
“I have nothing to prove,” Piquet added. “It’s my first year in formula one, so if I am better than Alonso, that’s good, but if I am a little bit behind there will not be a problem.
“I am here to learn and the best way to do that is with the best teammate possible.”
Piquet also angrily rebuffed suggestions that there is no doubt about his ‘number two’ status at Renault this year.
“That is an invention of journalists. In formula one there is no number one and number two. Both the cars are equal and here it will be the same way,” he said.
