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Pressure on other title contenders - Alonso

Fernando Alonso failed to score for the first time this season in Belgium © Sutton Images

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Fernando Alonso believes "the pressure is on the others at the moment" due to his championship lead with eight rounds remaining.

Despite being taken out of the Belgian Grand Prix by Romain Grosjean on Sunday and failing to score, Alonso still holds a 24 point lead over Sebastian Vettel. Far from being concerned that his championship lead has been reduced, Alonso told CNN that the pressure remains on the other contenders because they can't afford to have a race in which they don't score points.

"I think [the competitive order] will be more or less similar," Alonso said. "I think it is difficult to recover all of the gap with the quickest cars in the last two months. But we need to have a consistent car; we know that in some races McLaren will look strong and they will win the race, in some races maybe we are strong and we have the possibility to win, in some others it will be Red Bull. I think in this combination and this mix of different winners maybe we have an advantage, because with the position in the championship we have now we can afford one mistake, we can afford one bad race, the other's they cannot. So I think the pressure is on the others at the moment."

Alonso did admit, however, that Jenson Button's victory at Spa last weekend had brought him back in to the frame for the title, but expects the number of contenders to be reduced over the coming races.

"I think at the moment it's the two McLarens, the two Red Bulls and Kimi (Raikkonen) and me. I think at the moment there's still six. But it's true that in the next two or three races that will become two or three contenders, not more I think. So it's a very crucial part of the championship now."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.