McNish: I will be at forefront of testing new R23.

Scot Allan McNish reflects on the last few weeks, his new role as Renault's third driver; his first unexpected test with the team and more...

''It's been a busy start to the year for me with the announcement a couple of weeks ago that I have joined the Renault F1 team as their third driver.

''It was great to finally announce my plans as I was receiving numerous emails through my website asking me where I was going for 2003.

''As Renault's third driver I will be at the forefront of testing the new R23 as well as being their reserve driver at each Grand Prix. As well as testing throughout the year I'll also be taking part in the Friday practice sessions at all the Grand Prix.

''This is very different compared to standard third driver roles as I will attend all Grand Prix and have a direct input into the car on the race weekend and not just at test sessions!

''Renault is a team with big ambitions having dominated F1 in the 1990's as an engine manufacturer. Now they have returned as a complete team they are eager to emulate their previous successes. They are once again under the guidance of Flavio Briatore, this coupled with the structure of the technical team led by Mike Gascoyne and my unique testing programme, convinced me quickly that it was a place for the future and also the best platform for me to continue my F1 career and build on what I had already shown in F1 in 2002.

''The new testing regulations have come about courtesy of the Friday Agreement. In brief this limits testing throughout the season to 10 days and allows team who have signed up to the agreement to run a third car on Friday mornings at a Grand Prix in an extra session from 08:45 - 10:45. This basically means that I have to approach it like I would if I was racing to be completely up to speed in every way, with the car, team and latest technology and circuit characteristics.

''It's a perfect shop window for the future. Ultimately if I had taken one of the other racing programmes that were possible on either side of the Atlantic, out with F1, I think it would have been disappointing for me not to have had the opportunity to use all that knowledge and experience gained in 2002 which was a steep learning curve with a new team!

''Immediately after the announcement I was off to the Autosport Show in Birmingham, which is always a great start to the year. As usual I was signing autographs and fielding questions on the Centre Stage as well as catching up on all the gossip and meeting loads of fans. I saw Perry McCarthy and got him to sign a copy of his book Flat Out, Flat Broke, typical Pel, he wrote a dedication to me saying, 'This is the 'real' way to F1, read it and weep!!!' It's a mega read, extremely funny, I definitely think he missed his vocation in life. Other highlights of the show for me were catching up with Murray Walker and congratulating Britain's latest F1 driver Justin Wilson. I saw many others as well but far too many to mention here!

''Following the show I was off to Enstone for a seat fitting with the new R23. Seat fittings usually take a full day, you have to make sure everything is 100% perfect and try to cover all aspects, however, this usually changes as soon as you go onto the track and get a true idea. It was good to see so many faces from my days testing with Benetton and everyone at the factory made me feel at home.

''I flew to Barcelona that night to attend the F1 test. I wasn't scheduled to drive, just to watch how the team works. After four years with one team it was a very odd feeling to walk into the morning meeting and see different faces. It was then I found out that Jarno [Trulli] was ill; I can assure you I didn't do anything to his food!

''I had to drive that afternoon in the 2002 chassis. I had no seat, pedals or anything for this car so we made a compromise with the driving position and helmets and other accessories were flown out from the UK. Even though I didn't fit very well, which isn't ideal in the high G corners of Barcelona, it was important to get an initial feel for the 2002 car as well as the team.

''I completed 20 exploratory laps but it was necessary for a lot of work overnight to get me really comfortable and then I completed three laps to confirm this the next morning before handing back to Jarno. In those three laps I gained an understanding for the chassis and the engine and I have to say it was fantastic to be behind the wheel again for the first time in nearly three months. I'm looking forward to driving this car in anger.

''2003 is set to be an exciting year for me and I'm really looking forward to my association with the Renault F1 team.''

Allan McNish.

For more on Allan McNish go to his official website - allanmcnish.com