Thursday 31 July at 10:46 : Fernando Alonso backed team boss Flavio Briatore's claim this week that Renault has fallen back because of its rivals' unfair approach to the so-called 'freeze' on engine development.

Briatore said that while the French squad conformed with the spirit and letter of the development moratorium, "others took another course and are far ahead of us now".

Alonso, the former double world champion who turned 27 this week, agreed when he addressed Spanish reporters this week.

"Two years ago the R26 was a very good car, in the corners and on the straights.

"Did the freeze harm us? Perhaps, yes. Renault has always had a good engine and this year we realise that we are a little bit behind.

"It is always a difficult thing, going to the limits of the legalities. Maybe we have been more legal than the other teams and have lost 20 or 30 horse power for that reason," the Spaniard added.

Alonso also expressed concern that Renault is one of the teams that is yet to run a version of the KERS system that is allowed in F1 from 2009.

"To spend so long without testing it is not a good sign," he said.

"On the other hand BMW is already using it at the test tracks so I see them with an advantage at the moment."