> Fisichella confident of title challenge

Giancarlo Fisichella is confident that he will be a leading contender for next year’s world championship despite an indifferent 2006 campaign.

The Italian was comprehensively outperformed by Fernando Alonso throughout their two years as Renault team-mates.

But with the double world champion defecting to McLaren, Fisichella believes he can finally step out of the shadows and mount a title challenge.

“I’m confident of winning the world championship; I will be a main player along with [Kimi] Raikkonen and Alonso,” he was quoted as saying by Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

“I’m aware that next year I will have at my disposal a great car and a great team, who I’ve already worked with for two years so I know them well.”

Fisichella will team up with Finnish rookie Heikki Kovalainen next season.

He will be under pressure to perform because his new contract is for a single year and Renault's ambitious test driver Nelson Angelo Piquet has designs on his seat for 2008.