Renault star Giancarlo Fisichella admits that 2007 represents the best chance of winning his first Formula One world championship.
The Italian has won just two Grand Prix races since joining the Anglo-French outfit in 2005 while watching his team-mate, Fernando Alonso, race to back-to-back world titles before the Spaniard moved to McLaren at the end of last season.
With Heikki Kovalainen promoted from test driver into the other seat, Fisichella, 34, is now the team's senior driver and the expectations are for a concerted title tilt.
'I think I have a fantastic opportunity this year, maybe the biggest opportunity of my life,' he said at the launch of the 2007 Renault R27 in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
'It's a target for me and the team, we want to fight for both championships until the last race.
'It will be difficult to take if I lose my chance during the season, but I don't feel under more pressure. There are always critics out there who doubt me and who don't think I can do the job.
'We need a competitive and reliable car, but I know it's going to be a tough season. There are lots of opponents like Ferrari, like Fernando.'
Fisichella must prove he can step out of Alonso's considerable shadow and lead a Renault team that has shown itself to be the best-run in the competition over the last two seasons.
Unfortunately for the former Minardi, Sauber and Jordan driver, 25-year-old Kovalainen is highly regarded by the team and he would not be the first super-quick Finn to make his mark in Formula One.
The diplomatic Fisichella was not prepared to call himself the team's main man, in spite of 2007 being his 12th season in a sport not known for tolerating under-achievement.
'"I'm not the number-one driver in the team,' he explained. 'With this being my third year here, maybe because I have more experience than Heikki, spiritually I am the number one, but there is no real number one.
'Heikki is a very nice guy. Usually the Finnish are quite closed and don't talk a lot, but Heikki is completely different.
'I worked with him last year and he did a fantastic job. We have a good friendship, we work together, which is very important, and I think he's a very good driver.'
