Regie hopeful of challenging at the front again this weekend.

Renault director of engineering Pat Symonds has welcomed the improved level of morale within the team after the Spanish Grand Prix, but insists that there are still things that it needs to get right if it is to be a consistent threat.

The regie was boosted not only by Fernando Alonso's front row grid slot in Barcelona, but also by Nelson Piquet's improvement in form, which saw the Brazilian rookie make the final phase of qualifying for the first time. Unfortunately, the promise was not to last on race day, with Alonso sidelined early on by an engine problem, and Piquet removed from the equation by a collision with Sebastien Bourdais.

"There is a great deal more confidence at the moment, although I think it's fair to say that the belief that we would progress has always been there because nearly all the guys in the team have been through the winning experience of a couple of years ago," Symonds said, "The last few weeks have been very hard for the team, so there is no better reward than seeing the evidence on the track of all the work that has gone on. It makes everybody upbeat and ready to put a lot more in for the coming weeks.

"Although we were confident that we had improved, all that really mattered was how much we had improved compared to the others. It was not until Saturday afternoon and qualifying that we had a true idea of where we stood. To get both cars into the top ten in qualifying was a big relief, as we now know that the pace really is there relative to the others.

"Fernando was pretty upbeat after the race, which is a good attitude to have because, although it's terribly disappointing to have the promise unfulfilled, it's better than not having any promise at all. That's the attitude the whole team has taken to the result, because we were racing a lot closer towards the front than we have been for a considerable period of time.

"Nelson had very nearly a perfect weekend, spoiled by one mistake, which is a great shame because, on Friday, when the track conditions were poor, he dealt with the car exceptionally well. He was quick on Saturday and his qualifying time in Q2 was very impressive, right up there with Fernando's. It was great to see him reach Q3, where his fuel-corrected time was still impressive and not far behind Fernando - let's remember that we are comparing a rookie with a double world champion, so to be close to Fernando is a great credit. It's just a pity that the race was spoiled by one silly mistake."

Piquet openly admits that the Spanish GP was disappointing after his achievements earlier in the weekend, but shared Symonds' optimism regarding the R28.

"It's always disappointing to retire from a race, especially as a result of contact when the car was performing well and we were aiming to score points - which I think would have been possible," the Brazilian noted, "But we should not dwell on this, we must continue moving forward and I will keep learning. I will now try to put those lessons to good use in Istanbul so that I don't make the same mistakes again.

"I won there in GP2 and also took pole position and the fastest lap, so it is a circuit where I have some happy memories. It will certainly be easier for me to attack this weekend and to get my car working well. We have progressed well, but there is still a lot to do and the whole team is working hard. I hope the weekend will allow me to keep learning - reaching Q3 will once again be my goal."

Symonds sees no reason why the R28 should not work at Istanbul Park, but acknowledges that reaching the chequered flag is the most important aim for the weekend.

"Aerodynamic efficiency pays dividends at nearly every track, so there is no reason to believe that we will not be in a similar position in Istanbul," he explained, "I firmly believe that we are within one per cent of the leading team now, which is a big improvement from where we were at the beginning of the season. We will introduce further aero upgrades in time for Istanbul, but we must not be complacent because there is still a lot to do.

"We need to start scoring points again and, if we had not shown the potential we did in Spain, then I don't think we would know how we were going to get those points. The fact is that we have shown the potential and therefore we can go out and race for the points."