MELBOURNE, March 13, 2008 (AFP) - Dual world champion Fernando Alonso concedes Ferrari and McLaren cars will be quicker than his Renault in early season Formula One Grand Prix races, but he defiantly says he won´t give up.

The Spaniard left McLaren after a bitter feud with teammate Lewis Hamilton last year and returned to Renault where he won the world drivers´ title in 2005 and 2006.

Alonso faces a transition from driving a competitive racing car in the last three years at Renault and McLaren to a current Renault team down on performance and confidence heading into Sunday´s season-opening Australian GP.

He said the position was not clear at Renault after inconclusive winter testing ahead of the new season.

"The Ferraris, McLarens, even the BMWs, are very strong, as they were last year, so I am really looking forward to Saturday afternoon to see the qualifying and see where we are," Alonso told a press conference Thursday.

"After that we´ll see what we can do. In the last three years I´ve started with a more competitive car and ready to win races from the first Grand Prix.

"But that seems like that is not the case this year, but I will not give up, it´s a very long championship and it´s time to recover and I have full confidence in our ability."

Alonso evaded answering a question whether Hamilton, in his rookie season last year at McLaren, had shown him enough respect as a double world champion.

Renault team boss Flavio Briatore this month criticised Hamilton´s ego for not working in a more congenial relationship with Alonso at McLaren.

"I have nothing to respond to Flavio´s comments, Flavio arrives tomorrow and you should ask him. I will not answer that question because I never saw his comments in the newspaper, and it´s just speculation and rumour," Alonso said.

Hamilton was an interested listener sitting just a few feet away from Alonso at the press conference as cameras whirred away furiously for any facial reactions from the pair.

Alonso clashed with Hamilton and McLaren´s management and demanded that his status as a world champion afforded him preferential treatment within the British team.

But McLaren insisted on giving equal status to Alonso and Hamilton, which eventually led to Alonso returning to Renault after just one year at McLaren.

Hamilton was pipped for last year´s title by Ferrari´s Kimi Raikkonen in the last race in Brazil, while Alonso finished in third place with the same 109 points as Hamilton.