Red Bull still best after McLaren victory - Alonso

McLaren won in China but the Red Bull is still the car to beat.

That was the claim of Fernando Alonso, after Ferrari had yet another disappointing outing in Shanghai while McLaren and Mercedes’ competitiveness took a step forwards.

Spain’s AS newspaper asked Alonso if Lewis Hamilton’s win on Sunday means Red Bull’s dominance has finally been stopped.

"No, Red Bull are still ahead," he answered.

Ferrari brought some improvements to China, notably a new front wing, but Alonso revealed that it was not raced because it was "not ready".

"Our car was the same, aerodynamically and mechanically, as it was in Malaysia. Mercedes and McLaren had improvements so maybe that’s why they were better," he said.

The famous team will use the three weeks before Turkey to prepare a round of more significant updates for the 150 Italia.

"We need to get to the bottom of our situation, to the core of the problem, and improve from there," said Spaniard Alonso. "For Turkey there will be some improvements, but the other teams are not going on holiday so you can’t think the rankings will change too much.”

"Personally, I’m going to take a break, as we’ve been a month away from home. I will get on my bike and clear my mind," he promised.

Teammate Felipe Massa denounced the "wrong" pit strategy for China but outraced Alonso and admitted he was "very happy" with his performance.

"It was my best race this year and probably all of last year as well," he is quoted by Brazil’s Globo.

Alonso, however, said the strategy cannot be blamed for their sixth and seventh placings in Shanghai.

"The reality is that 2 or 3 stops are not going to change the situation much when your car is not fast enough," he is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Realistically, I do not expect to see a Ferrari capable of beating Red Bull or McLaren in Turkey, but at least we need to bring them closer," he added.