Renault Expect to be Closer to Ferrari at Imola

Renault hope a revised engine and aerodynamics will speed up their challenge to Formula One champions Ferrari at Imola this weekend.

"I think we can be pretty optimistic going to Imola," said Spaniard Fernando Alonso in a team preview for Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix. "We haven't performed to our full potential so far, and to be able to say that when the team is second in the Championship is very positive."

Italian teammate Jarno Trulli said he had noticed the improvements in testing.

"There is more power, better torque and overall it is more driveable," he said.

"We also have some chassis developments - it is harder for a driver to feel those small steps in aero performance but the stopwatch has confirmed the wind tunnel readings in testing. It is definitely a step forwards."

Renault's chassis technical director Bob Bell said the manufacturer expected a sizeable performance boost at the first race of the European season.

"Both drivers felt the developments represented a good step forward in testing and we expect to see a combined improvement of around four tenths of a second per lap at this circuit," he said.

"We certainly hope that it will help us begin to close the gap to Ferrari, although of course nobody is standing still and we cannot predict what steps forward our competitors might have made.

"But the new package will bring a consistent performance boost throughout the weekend. If we qualify in a sensible position on the grid, around the second or third row, podium positions are definitely within our reach."

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher has been victorious at the San Marino Grand Prix for four of the last five years at a circuit named after team founder Enzo and his son Dino. The six times champion has won the first three races of the year from pole position.