Renault Expect Difficult Race in Austria

Renault expect Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso to have his work cut out in Austria this weekend after finishing second in his last home Grand Prix.

"It's going to be a difficult race as we have to expect that we are going to be less competitive than we were in Spain," technical director Mike Gascoyne said in a team preview today.

The French team have been down on power compared to their rivals all season but are introducing a new engine development for Sunday's race at Spielberg, a fast track that favours cars with more horsepower.

Alonso, the 21-year-old who set pole position in Malaysia and has been on the podium in three of his last four Grands Prix, said he was getting better by the race.

"I feel I have learnt a lot," said Alonso, whose performances have led him to be talked of increasingly as a future successor to Ferrari's five-times World Champion Michael Schumacher. "These first few races have taught me a lot about pitstops, the way tyre performance changes throughout the course of a race and on how to manage your race.

"I think I am now becoming more and more capable of exploiting the car's potential."

Alonso, third in the Championship just three points behind Schumacher and seven behind leader Kimi Raikkonen of McLaren, has raced just once at the A1-Ring when he was at Minardi in 2001 before a year as Renault test driver.

"In my view, this is the most straightforward F1 circuit there is," he said. "I like the circuit but I wouldn't say that it is my absolute favourite. I think we can do well. (The circuit) suits my driving style okay, even if the contribution I have to make here is less challenging than usual."