Engineers praise 'Alonso-esque' performance.

Fernando Alonso's engineers within the Renault F1 operation have spoken out in praise of his drive to second place in Sunday's Turkish Grand, particularly as it ensured that he split the two Ferraris despite running with a less-than-optimal package.

The head-to-head with Michael Schumacher, brought about after Renault managed to get the Spaniard out in front of his title rival during a safety car-induced pit-stop period, was only the fourth time that Alonso has battled at close quarters with the man he succeeded as world champion in 2005, but again the fight was fair - and enthralling.

Last season's San Marino Grand Prix at Imola was the first time the pair had really had cause to battle on track, with Alonso again holding on to deny his nemesis, while other encounters had been limited to passing moves before one or other disappeared into the distance with a superior car. Sunday, however, saw Alonso playing a defensive role to keep Schumacher at bay for two-thirds of the Turkish race - something that captured the imagination of engineer Rod Nelson.

"Fernando knew that the only passing opportunities were on the back of the circuit after turn eight, and he was saving his high revs for the two straights between turns eight and twelve - literally turning the engine up and back down around the lap," he explained, "His engine engineer [Remi Taffin] and I were discussing what revs he had available to use, when we saw he was managing the situation already.

"It was typical Fernando - always thinking ahead, working his way around problems and delivering the goods. He was calm in the car - but I was pretty stressed on the pit-wall!"

Taffin found the ideal word to describe the drive, calling it 'Alonso-esque', before Nelson explained the significance of the result.

"When we arrived in Turkey, Michael needed to get two points more than us at each race to win - now he needs three points a race," he said, "So we're 50 per cent better off!"