Alonso: Ferrari looking stronger

The Renault driver finished off the pace of championship rival Michael Schumacher after suffering from tyre graining during practice. Alonso, who today ran with a lot of fuel onboard, finished as 12th fastest, nearly a second behind Ferrari driver Schumacher.

Alonso admitted Renault were not up to Ferrari's pace at the moment, but the Spaniard is still hopeful the French squad can raise their game tomorrow.

"I think Ferrari was strong today, especially Michael's tyres," Alonso said. "They were very consistent running in 29s so that is something probably we cannot do at the moment.

"They look a bit too strong for us again this weekend but we can do something overnight with the set-up. We will have a different tyre, normal fuel, the same as the others tomorrow, so it is not finished yet.

"We had a lot of graining today in the tyres, but I think we can make this work better tomorrow if we take the other tyre because it seems much better regarding the information the third drivers are giving us from the Michelin teams, so we are not with the best tyre so far," Alonso added.

"But I think this is for everybody and we saw a lot of teams with graining today and Sunday that will disappear with the rubber on the track. Even after the GP2 qualifying it was much better so not a worry.

"What we have to do now is make the car work on the circuit with the set-up but for sure we lost a little bit of time because of the tyre performance."

Despite his concerns about Ferrari's pace, Alonso believes the form he showed in Hungary proves Renault are ready to return to winning ways.

"I won four consecutive races from Spain to Canada. Michael won three, Indy, Magny-Cours and Hockenheim, I should have won in Hungary, so I think this is changing," said Alonso, who is 10 points ahead of Schumacher with five races remaining.

"I know that sooner or later I will have the chance to increase the lead in the championship again, which is the important thing, to win in the end, and I think my time is coming now."