Fernando Alonso is hoping Renault will be fighting to be the fourth best team at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.

While the double World Champion concedes F1's top teams, McLaren, Ferrari and even BMW, are in a league of their own, he is hoping that Renault will at least be able to race at the front of the midfield.

And after Thursday's two practice sessions that means beating Williams, who proved to be the best of the rest around the streets of Monte Carlo.

"I think we are more or less in the same position as we have been in the last two grands prix, which is behind the top teams," Alonso told Autosport.

"We are just fighting with different opponents.

"In Turkey it was Red Bull and here it seems that Williams is performing a little better than expected so I think our fight will be against them."

However, the Spaniard admits that won't be an easy task as both himself and team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr struggled with the handling of their R28s during Thursday's two practice sessions.

"It (the car) is difficult to drive," Alonso said. "Nelson was P18 in the first practice and P15 in the second, I was struggling as well.

"We had more difficulties than some of the other guys, but I think we have room to improve, and we have some ideas to change the car on Saturday and prepare for qualifying.

"This is very important here, the race is not so important, qualifying is the main goal for this weekend."