Tuesday, September 26 2006 12:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Renault's Pat Symonds is hoping and suspects Michael Schumacher will crack under the enormous pressures of a Formula One title showdown with Fernando Alonso.

Schumacher has slashed Alonso's lead to just two championship points and has won four of the last six races.

Yet Symonds believes his driver still has the edge over the seven-time world champion.

"They are both fabulous drivers and formidable competitors, but I truly do believe that Fernando handles pressure better than Michael," he says.

"Throughout his career, there have been many instances of Michael not performing to his potential when he has been under pressure and I think the pressure for him is greater than ever in these last three races." "Previously, he always had the safety net of trying again next year, if he didn't win. There is no `next year' for him now."

However, Symonds concedes the pressure is on for both teams and drivers.

"Some people seem to think Renault is a spent force in this championship. That is far from the case," he says.

"We learned last year that momentum and psychological advantage are important, when we struck a decisive blow with our run of wins at the start of the championship." "But the other thing I remember is the team's response to losing the lead of the constructors' championship in Brazil. Losing the lead merely redoubled our resolve to get it back, and we did so in style," added Symonds. "There is plenty of pressure, and there's no point denying it. We do not have any margin for error in these three races, but that also makes our job a lot simpler," he explains.

"The only option is to race aggressively. Second places are no good at this stage of the season. And the same is true for Ferrari."