Pedro de la Rosa believes some formula one teams are yet to display their true level of competitiveness in pre-season testing — and Renault could be one of them.
The McLaren test driver agrees that the Mercedes-powered team and Ferrari are a step ahead of the rest with their 2008 machines, but thinks winter testing so far has not told the full story about the likely pecking order in 2008.
“Ferrari and McLaren seem stronger and one step ahead of others, which is more or less how last season ended,” the Spaniard told the newspaper Diario AS.
“But there are teams that have not shown all of their cards, and Renault is one of them,” de la Rosa added.
“They are one of the teams that has the ability to make a step and come back up in the coming months,” he said.
Asked whether his countryman and former McLaren colleague Fernando Alonso can challenge for this year’s title, de la Rosa answered: “Of course he can.”
Renault’s engineering chief Pat Symonds is also confident that the French squad has now left its 2007 troubles behind.
“I am certain that the combination of Fernando in a revitalised Renault will see him challenging for race wins. He knows what he wants from the car, and we have shown in the past that we can deliver it,” Symonds said.
