Alonso has 28 points from three races this season

Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari have their best chance of winning a race at this week's San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.

Ferrari struggled in their last two races, but Alonso believes their home track suits their Bridgestone tyres.

He said: "If they can win one race this season it will be this one. They have a lot of optimism but we won in Australia so it would not be a big change.

"I prefer to finish second or third here and win at the Nurburgring again."

Alonso, who has won two of the three races so far this season, claimed victory at Imola last year after narrowly defeating Ferrari's Michael Schumacher.

Button expects victory challenge

Seven-times world champion Schumacher is confident his team can get back to winning ways after both cars failed to finish the last race in Australia.

I do not believe that the gap to the leaders is too big to close Ferrari's Michael Schumacher

But the German does not feel this weekend's race is make or break for his world title ambitions.

"Every race from now is important for us. From now on it's important we make up ground after the problems we suffered from in fist few races," he said.

"This result will not break us. I don't see it as a championship-deciding race, it's not crucial. We believe in our abilities and we hope to prove them.

"I have seen other championships completely turned around. The most important thing is that we have the potential and so everything is possible.

"We want to do well at Imola and we want to be among the title challengers.

"We have fine-tuned our package during the tests and I think that we have a car with which we can compete for victory.

"I do not believe that the gap to the leaders is too big to close. Imola should be the first step towards this."