Alonso expecting McLaren comeback

Although Alonso was beaten by Michael Schumacher's Ferrari at Imola two weeks ago, he reckons that it will be McLaren duo Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya who his team must keep their eye on.

At the European Grand Prix, however, the Spaniard is expecting a close fight between his team, McLaren, Honda and Ferrari.

"We can be competitive around here," he said at the Nurburgring on Thursday. "We tested at Silverstone last week and got good results. We won here last year, but Kimi was also strong.

"It will be a close fight between Renault, Ferrari, McLaren and Honda - it will be a normal race with tough competition."

Alonso does not believe that Schumacher's victory in the San Marino Grand Prix marks the start of a major title push from Ferrari - and claims that Renault need to make the most of their competitive position at the moment because McLaren are likely to come on strong in the near future.

Raikkonen will have use of a new specification Mercedes-Benz engine this weekend, while McLaren have added a host of chassis improvements to their MP4-21.

"We are strong now, but McLaren will come on strong for sure in a few races," added Alonso. "We need to take our opportunities now."

Alonso's chances of success at the Nurburgring have been boosted by the fact that he has use of the new specification Renault power unit, which Giancarlo Fisichella ran for the first time at Imola.

And although the new engine is not a dramatic step forward in horsepower, Alonso believes it is enough to make a difference.

"It is not much difference, although it is a new specification," he said. "We found out with Fisichella at Imola that it is not night and day, but it is a few more horsepower.

"But reliability is always a priority. The opposition is coming, so we really need this."