Motor racing-Renault can still win this year, says Briatore

By Alan Baldwin

LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - Former champions Renault can still win grands prix this year despite a difficult start to the Formula One season, team boss Flavio Briatore said on Tuesday.

"I think so, yes, in Barcelona we have the new package and absolutely yes (we can win)," he told Reuters.

Briatore was speaking after announcing a new 20 million pounds ($39.85 million) five-year sponsorship deal with Italian clothing company Lotto for his English Championship (second division) soccer club Queens Park Rangers.

The Spanish Grand Prix, a home race for Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso, is the fourth round of the season on April 27.

Renault, champions in 2005 and 2006 with Alonso, have not won a race since October 2006 and chalked up just one podium finish last year after the Spaniard had left to drive for McLaren.

Alonso has now returned to the French team, where he is partnered with Brazilian rookie Nelson Piquet, but struggled to eighth place in Malaysia last weekend after finishing fourth in the Australian season-opener.

His view of the future seemingly differed from Briatore's, with the Spaniard telling the As sports daily on Monday he was not expecting any big step forward.

"In Barcelona we will have some improvements for the car, the same ones all the teams will have, so the championship is going to stay more or less the same," he said.