FORMULA ONE MONACO GP: HAD THINGS turned out as intended for Fernando Alonso, the 27-year-old Spaniard would be starting tomorrow's race through the streets of the Mediterranean principality in a McLaren-Mercedes with the strong possibility of completing a hat-trick of wins in this most prestigious event on the world championship schedule.

If his original agreement had run its course he would still be paired with Lewis Hamilton and preparing to re-enact their 2007 battle through the unforgiving streets, a contest the Briton believes he would have won had it not been for pit instructions dictating the order of their one-two finish. Hamilton will have the opportunity tomorrow to demonstrate he has the skills necessary to emerge victorious in this most claustrophobic of formula one environments.

He goes into the sixth round of the drivers' title chase joint second on 28 points.

Alonso, eighth on nine points accumulated at the wheel of his uncompetitive Renault R28, believes he can win again, but this is a unrealistic assessment of the challenge which threatens to overwhelm this gifted competitor.

Alonso is living the legacy of his split with McLaren at the end of last season, one year into a three-year contract with the British team. Although he failed by only a point to win a third consecutive world title, beaten by Kimi Raikkonen, by the time he took the chequered flag in the Brazilian grand prix at Interlagos his career faced very real problems.

Nine months on and those problems remained etched on Alonso's face as he strolled through the paddock at Monte Carlo. His return to the Renault team, for whom he won the world championship in 2005 and 2006, was touted by many observers as a chance to rekindle a successful partnership. But the Formula One business is more complicated than that; the fact a technical recipe worked well three years ago is no guarantee that it can be replicated to order.

"We have progressed, but we are still behind Ferrari, McLaren and BMW," said Alonso. "Even though Monaco is a circuit where the driver can really make the difference, a good car will always be an advantage and makes things easier. But we will try and spring a surprise . . ."

Seventh place was indeed where Alonso ended up at the end of Thursday's free-practice, his efforts punctuated by a spin at the tricky Ste Devote right-hander beyond the pits, a slip duplicated by his team-mate Nelson Piquet.

Despite this the Spaniard seems more content in the Renault team environment where his status as a former world champion has never been questioned.

"I think Alonso ended up expecting a level of respect from the McLaren management which he believed naturally stemmed from his position as world champion, rather than expecting to have to move towards the team," said a Renault team insider. "I believe that's why he is happier back in the Renault team environment; he doesn't feel he should always be trying to earn their respect."

Despite giving up a potentially winning car for 2008, Alonso radiates a surprising level of confidence. "I am really happy," he said. "In Turkey we showed the progress we made in Spain was not simply a coincidence. I scored three points. . . these are three very important points and it's proof we are improving and fighting back." - Guardian Service