SHANGHAI, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - Fernando Alonso believes McLaren will give him and team-mate Lewis Hamilton equal opportunity to win in the world championship showdown in Brazil later this month.

The double world champion Spaniard finished second in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix and is now just four points behind Hamilton heading into the final race of the season.

Alonso has had a tumultuous relationship with McLaren for much of the season and his relationship with team principal Ron Dennis has completely broken down with the pair being openly critical of each other in recent weeks.

However, though he accepts that the team would prefer Hamilton to win the championship, Alonso does not believe McLaren will give the British rookie extra backing at Interlagos.

"I'm sure there's going to be equality," Alonso told Spanish reporters in Shanghai.

"One thing is how they feel, what they say about me, but what they do on track is a different thing, and usually they have had two cars that are exactly same, capable of fighting for victory.

"And that's what I think will happen in Brazil, so everything will be up to me.

"The second half of the season has been difficult and it still is, but I think in the end the two cars will be the same. They are going to give us both the same opportunities, I think we need to make that clear.

"There's no problem there, but we know they are never going to have favourable feelings towards me.

"I hope both cars will be the same, and that we can have a good qualifying and that everything that happened here was just a coincidence and we can fight for pole in Brazil, which would be the only chance to fight for victory.

"If you are not on pole or in the first row, it's almost over."

Alonso launched a scathing attack on what he sees as unfair behaviour from McLaren after qualifying in fourth place while Hamilton took pole position on Saturday.

The Spaniard feels that the team has not treated him with the respect he deserves as the reigning world champion.

And though his mood was somewhat brighter after Hamilton failed to finish the Shanghai race, Alonso stood by his comments.

"I did not say anything that is not true," he added. "The team has been saying many bad things about me, from Spa (Belgium) onwards especially, so the relationship didn't change too much.

"He (Dennis) was the first one to say that he was not speaking with me and things like that. From that point, I understood that the championship was not going to be easy for me."

Dennis managed to respond to Alonso's comments in a restrained manner, simply reiterating that he is contracted to the team for next season.

"We'll address the issue of drivers in respect of 2008 after Brazil," Dennis said.

"We've said that all the way along. We've got binding contracts with both drivers and until any dialogue is opened up after the next race, that's the way it will remain."