Alonso says he feels no pressure

"I feel less pressure now," Alonso told reporters at the end of testing at Jerez. "Even if I finish 20th in the next five years, I will still have been the World Champion in 2005. I am not too stressed about this.

"I have much much less pressure than I had all my life, I was a young driver with talent, who might become a future champion.

"Now I am not anymore that driver who has to prove he can be champion. I have proved it already. This pressure came from me, not outside."

The Renault driver, who won the title at the age of 24, had not returned to the wheel of his car since the season finished in China in October. His team, however, called him up to do a one-day test to get used to the power levels of V8 engines ahead of next season.

Alonso played down suggestions that the cars are now easier to drive, but he admitted the loss of power was significant.

"Some drivers said it is easier to drive, that we have too much grip for the power we have, I do not think so," Alonso added. "I think when you drive the car to the limit, it is the same. It does not matter if it is F3 or F1 with a v10, the important thing is to drive the car to the limit.

"Maybe we have too much downforce for this power, but as I said, when you drive to the limit, it is as fun as last year, as dangerous as last year.

"It was down on power obviously, a little bit strange to drive, but it is the same for everybody, so there is nothing you can do, you just have to get used to the power now, and hopefully the V8 we will test in January will be better than this one," he added.

"Because the feeling was not very nice, but the times are good, and I believe the car will be good, so we will be competitive again."

Alonso will not be back in action until Renault test their new car, the R26, on 10 January at Jerez.