By Andrew Benson Motorsport editor at Silverstone

Schumacher faces an uphill battle to take the title from Alonso

Schumacher said: "This was not a crucial race. There are still 10 races to go, plenty of opportunities.

"We will do as much as we can to be at the front at the end of the year. There is no way to give up at all."

Reigning champion Alonso said: "This is good news for the rest of the season - but we have to take advantage now."

Alonso is so far ahead that he would retain his title if he finished second behind Schumacher in every one of the remaining 10 races.

But the Spaniard, who now has five victories from eight races this season, insisted Renault could not afford to slacken their effort despite their huge lead.

We need to improve the car, keep improving to make sure we keep winning races Fernando Alonso

"So far it has been fantastic - three wins and three seconds - there is nothing more to find," he said.

"We are running on the limits of our car. There have been no mechanical problems. It is a fantastic job from the team.

"The best defence from now on will be attacking and keep winning races.

"It's not easy. We work hard every race, every weekend, everything is going well for us.

"Every race is a new challenge, a new opportunity to prove we are still competitive.

"We need to improve the car, keep improving to make sure we keep winning races."

It's about consistency, getting wins when you can and making the most of your chances when you can Renault engineering director Pat Symonds

Renault engineering director Pat Symonds said that maintaining the team's enviable consistency would be key to retaining the title.

"It's a long season and everything is going well for the team and Fernando," he said.

"I don't think when we look back at this season we'll see a real landmark. It's about consistency, getting wins when you can and making the most of your chances when you can."

Symonds added that he expected the advantage to swing between Renault and Ferrari, depending on the performance of their tyre manufacturers at each race.

Renault use Michelin while Ferrari are supplied by Bridgestone.