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Renault 'apprehensive' about its Singapore Grand Prix prospects

By Jonathan Noble

Friday, September 16th 2011, 16:28 GMT

Renault technical director James Allison admits he is 'apprehensive' about the chances for his team at the Singapore Grand Prix - but reckons a good performance would put it in great stead for the remainder of the campaign.

The Enstone-based team is due to introduce the second phase of an upgrade that arrived for the Italian GP, and is buoyed by the fact that it has turned around a mid-season slump in pace.

However, with Renault having struggled on low-speed, high-downforce tracks so far this year, Allison is not expecting an easy time in Singapore.

"Monaco and Hungary were not good races for us and Singapore shares some characteristics of these two circuits," he said. "We feel we have improved things since then and we have a bit more to deliver for Singapore itself, but it is fair to say that I am apprehensive.

"However, if we do have a good race then we will be set for good performances in the five races that follow, as we will then have shown improved performance on three very different tracks."

Allison says that with developments having flowed steadily for the past two races, there are reasons to be encouraged by the fact that Renault appears to have turned the corner in its campaign.

"While far from stunning, it was at least respectable," he said about the pace at Monza. "For two races in a row our car has looked a little more on the pace than in the previous grands prix, and this reinforces our belief that we are heading back in the right direction."

Allison has also once again praised the job that Bruno Senna has done since his promotion to race driver - which included him scoring his maiden Formula 1 points in Italy.

"Several promising F1 careers have foundered on the rocks of a mid-season introduction in recent year," he explained.

"Under the current F1 rules Bruno has had no meaningful chance to get up to speed in the car away from the pressures of the GP weekend. He had just one session in the R31 pre-season, and he has impressed all of us with the way that he has seized his opportunity first at Spa and again at Monza."

Credit: AUTOSPORT.COM (www.autosport.com)