Alonso: I'll prove I'm still the best

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fernando Alonso is eyeing at least a podium finish before the end of the season to prove that he is still Formula One's top driver.

The Renault ace won the world championship in 2005 and 2006 for his current team and then fought for the 2007 title down to the last race with McLaren.

But he has only 18 points on the board after 11 races this season in a Renault car that is some way off the pace to which Alonso has been accustomed.

"I'll keep fighting for a podium or even a victory this year because that will prove that I'm still here," the former Minardi man told F1 Racing magazine.

"I want to prove to everybody that I'm still the best so I need a super performance to do that, which means a podium or a win.

"And I'll be trying to do it in the second part of the season."

Renault's recent improvements have moved them firmly in contention with Red Bull and Toyota to finish fourth in the constructors' championship.

And it's that battle which is focusing the often-outspoken Alonso's mind.

"There was a bit of frustration when I saw that I wouldn't win races or get on the podium," the 27-year-old said.

"But it's still a challenge to beat our main opponents and that's the motivation to keep doing my best."

He has yet to commit to a team for 2009 and there have been suggestions that having already won two world championships he will not be in F1 long-term.

But Alonso, linked with moves to Honda and Ferrari, is determined to be sat in a race-winning car for many seasons to come.

"After these difficult times, I want to have the time to win enough championships -- everybody will see how determined I am to win and be fast," he added.

"So there are still many years to come from me."

Under the banner of the European Grand Prix, the second Spanish race of the season is next up on the streets of Valencia.

Its debut on the calendar is due to the Alonso effect in his homeland, where F1 has rapidly risen in prominence after years languishing behind motorcycle racing in the popularity stakes.

"The circuit seems very, very well prepared. There's obviously some work to do before F1 arrives, but it's not like a normal street track," he told Speed TV.

"It's something more, it seems wide, it seems like an American type of street circuit.

"I think it will be a nice and interesting grand prix. Not only the race, but also the atmosphere will be quite different. For sure I'm looking forward to it."