Fernando Alonso says that Ferrari has been "stronger" this year than it was in 2010, despite only one grand prix victory.
After just missing out on the drivers' championship last season, Ferrari was expected to provide an even sterner test for Red Bull in 2011. However, it started the season off the pace and while Alonso has finished on the podium nine times his sole victory came at the British Grand Prix. Despite having fallen out of championship contention in Singapore, Alonso believes that Ferrari has learnt from last year's mistakes.
"I will remember it as a not bad season overall from a personal point of view and how the team approached this season, improving in areas where we were weak last year," Alonso said. "The team has been stronger and I feel that with a competitive car next year we can be very strong and fighting for the world championship.
"Last year, our starts and strategies were not so good and we had a conservative approach to the races and we improved in all those areas this year. Now, all we need is the car that can do it."
One such strategy proved costly as Ferrari covered Mark Webber in the championship decider, allowing Sebastian Vettel to snatch the title. Alonso finished the season as runner-up, but says that he is not worried about securing the same position again as people have already forgotten that fact.
"I finished second last year and no one remembers and I won't recall it in ten or twenty years time, so if I finish second, third or fourth this time, it will not be on my mind in the future. It's not a big priority, but we will try and have a good race.
"Maybe there is a possibility of rain on Sunday, which means we might not get the same result as usual with Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari always in the top five or six places. If that is the case and we do a good race, maybe I can take some points off Jenson [Button], but maybe I lose points to Webber and finish fourth. It's not so important for us, but maybe it gives me some self confidence for the future seeing myself ahead of drivers in better cars than ours."
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