F1: Ferrari admit F14-T not yet fast enough

Italian team 'aware of challenge' in store

(ANSA) - Rome, March 31 - Ferrari have admitted their 2014 race car, the F14-T, is simply not fast enough after they again failed to make the podium in the second race of the season in Malaysia on Sunday.

Ferrari's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso took his second successive fourth place to stay third overall in the driver's standings, with 24 points, 19 behind Mercedes leader Nico Rosberg. Alonso's Finnish teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who was seventh in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, clashed with McLaren's Kevin Magnussen Magnussen at the start and had to limp back to the pits with a puncture.

"We definitely have a lot more work to do, because while we are moving forward, the others are doing the same," said Alonso. "Everyone in our team is doing their utmost to close down the gap. "There's still a lot to learn in these early races, but it's no secret that we definitely need to improve our top speed, as could be seen from my duel with (Force India's Nico) Hulkenberg. "I was able to get him thanks to fresher tyres, but we definitely need to up our performance right from the very next race".