Pat Symonds

Benetton & Renault technical boss, 2002-06 and 2008-09 Fernando is clever but very laid back, and in the early days this could mask his intensity. In a briefing you’d think he wasn’t paying attention, and then he would ask an incredibly pertinent question that showed he was really digging deep.

There’s a lot of capacity when he’s driving, too. He set the fastest lap at the Canadian GP one year and was talking to us nearly all the way round the lap about some aspects of the race.

Then there’s the other side. At the end of 2006 we were fighting hard for the title, we were under a lot of pressure, and our competitiveness against Ferrari was decreasing. Then, out of the blue, Fernando did a press conference and just laid into Renault and slagged them off. It was devastating for the team and he lost a lot of friends.

I don’t think the team situation is important to him other than in terms of what it can bring him. He returned to Renault in 2008 because he was in a position where the only thing he could do was come back. Time and time again he leaves himself in positions where he doesn’t have options.

He’s clever when it comes to racing, but in life he’s not that clever. There are times in life when you don’t do the best thing for that day, you play the long game. I don’t think that comes onto Fernando’s radar at all.