Fernando Alonso feels that, if he was driving a Mercedes or Red Bull this season, he would have faith in himself to battle for a third World Championship.

The Alpine driver has been stuck in the midfield for the majority of the season, but there have been positive signs of late by the Spaniard qualifying in the top five in Turkey – the first time he has done so since the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.

But Alonso has not been in a position to win a race since 2013, and has not had the machinery beneath him to compete for a long-awaited 33rd race win in Formula 1.