Briatore: Alonso better off at Renault

"That would never have happened with us, because we work in complete transparency," Briatore was quoted as saying by Autosprint magazine.

"When (Riccardo) Patrese, or (JJ) Lehto, lamented their car being slower than Schumacher's, I would tell the team: 'give him that car, change the pedals, and put him on the track.'"

Alonso joined McLaren from Renault after two titles, but his relationship with the team and his boss Ron Dennis deteriorated throughout the year.

The British squad and the Spanish driver parted company last week despite Alonso having two years of his contract left.

When asked if Alonso was hard to manage, Briatore said: "We overestimate drivers. They are twenty, twenty-five years old and we expect them to always behave like mature persons. We must take the human aspect more into consideration.

"They fall into situations that are bigger than them and sometimes we don't help them. But Fernando never had problems with us."

He added: "I think help always goes to the strongest drivers. It happened with Schumacher and with other drivers... except Fernando. Alonso has always had some unfavorable conditions.

"In my opinion he's always found some hurdles, both this year and last year..."

Alonso has been linked with a return to Renault for next year, with Spanish media claiming a deal could be announced already this week.