![\"Fernando-Alonso\"](\"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/gallery\/f1-2012-rif-images\/f1-12-drivers\/Fernando-Alonso.jpg\")
Fabled Ferrari has had a much better winter compared to a year ago, when the Maranello team was multiple seconds off the pace.<\/p>\nFernando Alonso is heading into next weekend’s 2013 season opener with realistic expectations of a podium finish.<\/p>\n
“I think so,” the 2012 title runner-up is quoted by Spain’s El Pais newspaper during a sponsor event in Barcelona on Monday.<\/p>\n
Fabled Ferrari has had a much better winter compared to a year ago, when the Maranello team was multiple seconds off the pace.<\/p>\n
Alonso fought back to lose the championship to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel by just 3 points, and he is expecting a similar contest in 2013.<\/p>\n
“McLaren, Lotus will be there,” he said.<\/p>\n
“And Mercedes, who have worked on this car since the middle of last season, have improved.<\/p>\n
“But it would be a major surprise if Red Bull is not in front of everyone,” said Alonso.<\/p>\n
“They should be able to win in Australia even with the car of Brazil (2012).”<\/p>\n
He said his wish for 2013 is therefore to have a car “capable of fighting with the best”.<\/p>\n
“Able to win races and podiums,” the Spaniard clarified.<\/p>\n
“We can’t forget that late last year we were 7 or 8 tenths behind the competition.\u00a0 So we will not be the fastest, but we will not be 1.6 seconds behind, as we were in Australia last year.<\/p>\n
“But we are faster,” he is quoted by the AS newspaper.\u00a0 “The base is infinitely better.<\/p>\n
“I need a faster car to win, but two tenths (slower than the best) is enough.”<\/p>\n
Alonso said those trying to predict the Melbourne pecking-order based on winter testing will need to wait until next weekend to know the real answer.<\/p>\n
“Impossible,” he said when asked how easy it is to extrapolate Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull and Lotus’ true form based on the three Spanish tests.<\/p>\n
“You don’t go to a training camp to see if Barca is going to win on Sunday, or watch Djokovic and Nadal warm up to know the winner.<\/p>\n
“The first four or five races will be a surprise for everyone,” added Alonso.<\/p>\n
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