ALONSO IN SEARCH OF IMPROVEMENT

Alonso has said frankly that if their car is to be consistently present on the front end of the grid then the R28 car needs to be improved quickly.Renault had their new car launch at Valencia this saturday but they performed the big time testing a week earlier.The Spaniard, who is making his return to the team with whom he won both his World titles, put the car through its maiden trial on three of the four days.On the days three and four of testing the car was languishing in sixth and seventh places and one second off the target pace.Alonso expressed his concerns and asked for improvement.The double World Champion has urged Renault to resolve their difficulties before the season starts on March 16 in Australia.

FERRARI BOOST

Ferrari have emerged as the fastest car on the first official day of testing.Ferrari struck the first blow of the new year in the battle of the Formula One heavyweights.

Ferrari and McLaren both ran their new cars on the first official day of testing for 2008 following their unveiling last week.

And it was world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who clinched the title in dramatic circumstances last year, and team-mate Felipe Massa who topped the timesheets at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain.

After rain in the morning, the track dried out in the afternoon, with Raikkonen completing 59 laps overall with a best unofficial time of one minute 19.845 seconds.

Massa was just under 0.3secs adrift, with McLaren tester Pedro de la Rosa another 0.4secs off the pace in third place ahead of the Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel.

The second McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen was fifth overall, just over a second down on Raikkonen, while Sebastien Bourdais gave Toro Rosso a strong showing with sixth.

Lewis Hamilton, who missed out on becoming world champion by a point to Raikkonen, is on track on Tuesday and Wednesday alongside Kovalainen and is sure to push the Ferraris close.

Overall, nine teams tested, with only BMW Sauber missing out as they launched their new car in Munich today, along with Honda.

James Rossiter was unfortunately last of the 14 drivers due to a problem early in the day with his Super Aguri - with the team awaiting new parts - allowing him to complete just 10 laps.

ALONSO GOT IT RIGHT

Jarno Trulli believes Fernando Alonso made the right decision in returning to Renault.

Trulli spent two seasons as Alonso's team-mate at Renault in 2003 and 2004, before switching to Toyota towards the end of the latter year.

The French marque then helped Alonso become world champion in 2005 and 2006 before his ill-fated move to McLaren for last season.

An ignominious campaign culminated in a bitter fall-out between Alonso and team boss Ron Dennis, ultimately resulting in the 26-year-old being released at the end of the year.

Despite the saying, 'you should never go back', Alonso now finds himself in familiar surroundings again - despite the fact Renault endured a poor season by their previously high standards last year.

"Fernando is a champion, so we can expect him to be fighting at the front. But then Renault has to deliver a good car, which was not the case in 2007," said Trulli - speaking at the launch in Cologne of Toyota's new challenger for 2008, the TF108.

"I think last season they suffered the same problem as Toyota in that they under-estimated the tyre and the influence that had on the car performance.

"I'm sure they've been working hard over the winter to give him a good car, just as hard as Toyota have been working to give me and Timo (Glock) the best possible car.

"Obviously, I wasn't involved in his situation last season - so I don't know the full facts behind it.

"But it is clear things didn't go very well between them, and in the end they decided to split.

"Whether it is right or wrong, that is hard to say. But it's just a shame to see what happened.

"That's the way it is and better for him to have stepped back and returned to his old team."

There were suggestions Alonso's Latin temperament did not help in a team more accustomed to adhering to protocol.

"Whatever your character, you have to get on well with a lot of people in Formula One," added Trulli.

"There are so many people working on two racing cars, and you have to communicate well in this environment.

"Probably there was something wrong in the relationship, but I cannot judge.

"Of course, I am of Latin temperament as well - although probably a bit more polite and quiet. I try to get on well with everyone."

As the experienced older head in the Toyota team following the departure of Ralf Schumacher and arrival of rookie Glock, Trulli is aware of the responsibility on his shoulders.

With Toyota looking to end six winless seasons in F1, the 33-year-old Italian said: "I am the one who provides continuity - so the team will expect good feedback, especially in the first half of the season.

"But Toyota does not rely on one leader. We have never had, and never will have a leader, because the Toyota concept means you are part of the team - one team, one aim."

With 25-year-old German Glock on board, Trulli insists he is not under added pressure to perform.

"In Formula One there is always pressure. It doesn't matter who you have next to you or in front of you," he added.

"But I'm happy to have Timo on board, because he is very motivated and is someone who will help develop the car."

FERNANDO ALONSO HAS NO CHANCE

Fernando Alonso does not have a best chance of winning the 2008 title which he himself admits.Two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso insists the thought of him winning the title again next year is "madness".

The 26-year-old stormed to the championship in 2005 and 2006 with Renault before moving to McLaren for last season's campaign in which he came third behind eventual winner Kimi Raikkonen and team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

He has since moved back to Renault but has dismissed talk of him claiming a third world crown.

"Today that idea is madness," Alonso told sports programme El Larguero.

"You have to be realistic and this year they (Renault) were a long way behind and it's too big a leap.<

"But everything is possible, they have to make the car better.

"We opted for Renault because it is the most optimistic choice for 2008 and with possibilities to do good things.

"However, every team has to make a huge step up in quality for next year because McLaren and Ferrari won all the races this year."

Alonso admitted that when the 2007 campaign finished, he had no idea where he would be racing in 2008.

"I didn't know whether to stay at McLaren or what I was going to do," he added.

"We looked at everything and in the end we decided it would be better to go our separate ways.

"From there I started looking for teams. Almost all the teams approached me, but not Ferrari.

"It wouldn't be right to say that I want to sign for Ferrari barely a fortnight after I signed for Renault but of course it would be nice if I could go there one day."Well Alonso does not have a chance and he is very honest.