Renault's Piquet keen to learn from tough start

Nelson Piquet wants to finish in the top six next year after Renault kept faith with him despite an unimpressive Formula One rookie season as team-mate to Spanish former double world champion Fernando Alonso.

The 23-year-old Brazilian was happy that Renault had renewed his contract and hoped improvements seen in the car late in the season would enable the team to make a good start next year.

Piquet had one podium place in 2008 after coming second in Germany, before ending up 12th in the overall world championship standings. He made the points in only five of the 18 races and had nine retirements.

"It wasn't the season I dreamed of," he told Reuters yesterday.

"I had a lot of ups and downs and problems but learnt a lot."

The son of triple world champion Nelson Piquet was unsure of his future with Renault until the team announced on Wednesday that he would stay for a further season, with Alonso extending his contract until 2010.

"I was very green in the beginning of the championship," Piquet said on the sidelines of a Renault roadshow in New Delhi.

"I was really happy when we reached the agreement."

The Renault car not being competitive until midway through the season proved a huge challenge to surmount, he said.

"The car changed a lot from 2007. That is why in the beginning it was a big shift and we were still developing a lot.

"Next year, there is going to be another big shift but mechanically, suspension, (it) is not going to change that much. So, I think we are going to continue in a good phase.

"We have to be a bit optimistic, I think we have a good chance of being regularly on the podium.

"This year I wanted to be in the top 10, I finished 12th. (Next year) I'd like to be top six in the championship," he added.

Piquet said it was hard to follow Alonso, who superbly finished the season with victories in Singapore and Japan and a second place in the last race in Sao Paulo.

"It was a tough year," Piquet said.

"He is very tough, very quick. I found myself on a different limit of what I had."

Piquet, with fellow Brazilian and reserve driver Lucas Di Grassi, yesterday took part in the roadshow to mark the 700-day countdown to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the Indian capital.