Alonso: no problems with Renault

Alonso, who last year became Formula One's youngest champion, caused a stir on Friday when the Spanish media quoted him as saying he had never received any help from his team since he has been there.

"They haven't helped me at all in the four or five years that I have been here," Alonso was reported as saying. "When there was a test or a race where I needed something, I didn't get much."

The Spaniard, who will drive for the McLaren team next season, on Saturday suggested his comments had been taken out of context and said there was no friction with his team

"Yeah, it is a problem that always happens," said Alonso. "You say something and the journalists analyse what you say and write what you think that I mean in that comment.

"The thing is that in Renault we never have first driver and second driver. We have equal conditions for both drivers, in any circumstances in any race.

"Even if I was fighting for the championship we still have the same conditions for both drivers so if they ask me if I have a disadvantage now to go to McLaren then I say, 'no, I think I always had equal conditions to everybody, so it will be the same.'

"I didn't have any help because I was winning or was first driver - I had the same conditions as Trulli and Fisichella. So now I don't think I will have any disadvantage, I still have the same conditions. We won the first three races, so it is not any point to say nothing about the team and we are the best team at the moment.

"We were the best in 2005 and the strongest team in 2006 so far. It makes no sense to talk about this."