Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has urged his team not to give up in the title chase, despite a major setback at the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend.
Fernando Alonso is now 92 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel while Ferrari is 154 points adrift of Red Bull in the constructors' championship. Canada was seen as one of Ferrari's best chances of challenging Red Bull, but Alonso retired after a collision with race winner Jenson Button and Felipe Massa could only manage sixth after spinning while lapping a backmarker.
Montezemolo told Italian Sky: "I don't like to talk about bad luck. At the time of Alonso and Button's accident, each had a 50-50 chance. Well, Alonso went out and Button won the race."
And he insisted the team would not give up.
"We must keep pushing," he insisted. "In Canada we had a very competitive Ferrari and I think it will be the same in Valencia. After that comes a very challenging circuit [Silverstone], but we are working hard.
"I'd rather see a competitive Ferrari that stops rather than one that finishes sixth or seventh. This car was not born well but I know the quality and determination of my men. We must respond knowing that this season did not start as we wanted. But hope dies last."
Stefano Domenicali said that Ferrari will now focus on individual results rather than worrying about the gap in the championship to Red Bull.
"It is pointless to look at the standings," he told Tuttosport. "We must do what a football team does when it is behind: play every match separately thinking only to attack and to win. Then, if the others go wrong and the situation changes, we will see where we are."
One hope is that the clampdown on off-throttle exhaust blown diffusers will hinder Red Bull more than the chasing pack.
"Now we need to get the maximum points possible in Valencia and then look at Silverstone, which is where we will see the real effect of the change in the rules," Domenicali added.
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