MAGNY-COURS, France, June 22, 2008 (AFP) - Grey skies and a soft drizzle replaced the sunshine and blue over central France Sunday morning as French motor racing fans prepared to cheer on their heroes in the French Grand Prix.

After Saturday´s high temperatures touching 32 degrees Celsius, the air temperature fell to just 20 degrees - and with that fall came a warning from Fernando Alonso that he and the Renault team lacked the speed needed to challenge Ferrari.

Two-times drivers world champion Alonso, who returned to Renault this year after a desultory season with McLaren-Mercedes, said he believed that Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa would be untouchable in Sunday´s race, but said a podium finish was possible.

Alonso, a Spaniard who has been adopted as if he were a Frenchman by the Renault supporters, added that he felt that the defending world champion from Finland and his Brazilian partner had demonstrated their dominance by claiming an all-red front row for Ferrari.

"Ferrari is not our main competitor because they are too strong for us no matter what we do," said Alonso. "The guys I have with me on the grid aren´t that far apart.

"Sometimes, we were quicker, sometimes they were quicker. We can fight with them for the podium. Hopefully we can take the benefit of our better starting position."

Alonso starts third behind the two Ferraris with Italian Jarno Trulli alongside him on the grid in his Toyota, following Briton Lewis Hamilton´s demotion to 13th place, from third, as a penalty for his pit-lane accident in Canada two weeks ago.

Canadian race winner Pole Robert Kubica is fifth for BMW Sauber and Australian Mark Webber is sixth for Red Bull.

Hamilton´s McLaren team-mate Finn Heikki Kovalainen, who was sixth-fastest in qualifying, was relegated to 10th for baulking other drivers during by driving too slowly during qualifying.

All of which left Raikkonen, on pole, hoping for a clear run to his second consecutive French Grand Prix win and a chance to boost his bid for a second wo rld title.

He is currently fourth on 35 points behind championship leader Kubica, on 42, and Hamilton and Massa both on 38.

The cooler weather and prospects of rain were welcomed by McLaren who are expected to have a strategy designed to help their drivers make up places from the start.