Renault's recent good form in 2008 may have been down to them unlocking the sercet of Bridgestone's tyres.

Drivers have been struggling all year long to find a consistent performance with their tyres that seem hyper-sensitive to factors including temperature and pressure.

But for Renault, their cars seem to have a run of improved form at the last couple of races.

According to German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, it knows the French squad's secret.

During Saturday morning practice at Budapest, observers wondered about the odd on-track behaviour of Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr.

In the opening stages of the session, their R28s circulated notably slowly for a few laps, before recording a burst of full speed.

Auto Motor und Sport claims this deliberate start-stop preparation of the tyres gave the drivers consistency and durability for the race. “Tyres have a memory,” BMW-Sauber's technical boss Willy Rampf is quoted as confirming.

Interestingly, Sunday at Hungary was a notably poor showing for BMW, whose drivers complained about a massive lack of grip from their Bridgestone tyres.

Only the action from this weekend's Valencia event will show whether Renault repeats its unique tyre-preparation technique, and if the team's rivals attempt to emulate the routine.