Alonso Rules Out Victories in 2003

Spaniard Fernando Alonso claimed today that his Renault team may have to wait another two seasons before tasting victory in Formula One.

Alonso, who has been billed as a challenger to Michael Schumacher's throne, finished second to the Ferrari driver in his home Spanish Grand Prix and has also claimed podiums on two other occasions.

But the 21-year-old said on Friday that he does not believe Renault will secure a race victory in the remaining races of the season - or even next year.

"I don't want to be too quick," Alonso said. "If I do the maximum all weekends and if one day the victory is coming it will be a surprise, but I think it will not be possible this season or maybe even next season.

"We are a young team, this is only the second 100 per cent Renault in Formula One. I think we are growing up very quickly but it is still difficult to fight with Ferrari and McLaren.

"But I think we did a big step this season and I hope next season will again be a bigger step and we can fight with them. But for victory you have to be quick, you have to be lucky, there are a lot of things you have to have to win."

Alonso and teammate Jarno Trulli were left behind rivals Ferrari, Williams and McLaren in the first qualifying session as the pair finished eighth and seventh respectively.

The Spaniard claims the make-up of the Nurburgring circuit should suit Renault, who lack the engine power of the big three teams, and he expects more in Saturday's grid-deciding qualifying session.

"We were quite slow today in qualifying," Alonso said. "The balance was good, I did a good lap, so there is no particular reason. But I think they are much faster than us this weekend so what can you do?

"There was not a big mistake on our part. The car was good, but we are the fourth team and we have to remember this at each Grand Prix. There are six cars better than our car at the moment.

"In some of the circuits we found better solutions and fight with them like we did in Canada but sometimes we come back to the normal situation. This is normally a good circuit for Renault - you have medium corners, slow corners, chicanes, so for our car it should be quite good.

"Today we didn't get the maximum, we didn't get close to the pole, but the engineers are working already and tomorrow I am sure that the car will be better. Here we have something new on the engine and we improved a little bit more."