Ferrari improvements encourage Alonso
May 4, 2012 -- Updated 1651 GMT (0051 HKT)
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso will be hoping to impress in front of a home crowd at the Spanish Grand Prix.
- Fernando Alonso is hoping Ferrari changes will deliver success at Spanish Grand Prix
- Two-time world champion is feeling confident after three days testing at Maranello
- Legendary team has been off pace this season despite his Malaysia victory
(CNN) -- Ferrari's hopes of a first world title since 2008 were effectively blown away before this season even started when the legendary Formula One team admitted the 2012 car was not up to speed.
Fernando Alonso shocked motorsport experts by winning the rain-hit Malaysia race in March, but otherwise it has been an uphill battle for the two-time world champion and his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa.
However, improvements made during this week's test sessions at the Italian marque's Maranello headquarters have given the Spaniard encouragement that he might be more competitive in front of his home fans in the next race at Barcelona next weekend.
"The feeling I have after the test is a positive one," the 30-year-old said on the Ferrari website.
Take a ride with F1 champ Vettel
Mexico's new F1 hero
Ferrari unveiled the F2012 Friday, their car for the forthcoming Formula One season. The Italian team had planned to reveal the car Thursday, but heavy snowfall around the team's factory forced a postponement.
Ferrari unveil F2012
Michael Schumacher in the modern Silver Arrow while Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg takes the wheel of the 1955 model.
The Silver Arrow rises again
"We have introduced a few small -- and I stress that word -- aerodynamic updates that have produced the response we were expecting and that is the most positive news, which means I am confident for the future, in the short and the long term.
"It means that what we see in the factory in Maranello has now also been confirmed on track. Furthermore, we have worked on other areas, especially the tires, doing short and long runs, on setup and also on starts, given we were also trying out a new clutch."
Alonso finished seventh at the last grand prix in Bahrain, but this week his times have been marginally slower than that of race winner and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel and Lotus' Romain Grosjean, who earned his first podium in the Middle East event.
Alonso, winner of the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix winner, did go off-track during testing, damaging his car's nose and losing two and a half hours of track time as the crew fixed it.
But he appeared unconcerned with the mishap, saying with a touch of irony: "I want to put everyone's mind at rest, my family and friends: I'm fine, no harm done after hitting the crash barrier at 7 km an hour."
Alonso is fifth in the drivers' championship, 10 points behind Vettel, but remains pragmatic about the importance of the May 13 race.
"Barcelona will be a key moment in the season, but not a decisive one. It's not a case that we will suddenly find ourselves back on pole position, because there is no magic button," he said.
"Certainly, I am not denying that next weekend's event is a significant one -- we cannot allow ourselves to struggle to get into Q3 if we want to fight for the title."
Part of complete coverage on
Track the new Formula One season as it progresses, circuit by circuit, race by race.
March 14, 2013 -- Updated 1324 GMT (2124 HKT)
Can the new F1 season live up to last year's standards? Find out the need-to-know stories for 2013.
March 14, 2013 -- Updated 1148 GMT (1948 HKT)
CNN looks ahead to the Australian Grand Prix, the first F1 race of the 2013 season.
February 28, 2013 -- Updated 1824 GMT (0224 HKT)
Adrian Sutil will be Force India's second driver for the 2013 Formula One season, pledging to make the most of his "second chance".
March 2, 2013 -- Updated 0152 GMT (0952 HKT)
Christmas Abbott, 5'3 and 115 pounds, is the first woman to join a NASCAR pit crew team.
February 12, 2013 -- Updated 0035 GMT (0835 HKT)
The first race in Melbourne is just around the corner and Formula 1 teams are gearing up for a season which promises to be as technical as it is tactical.
March 1, 2013 -- Updated 1219 GMT (2019 HKT)
When the new Formula 1 season gets underway in March, for the first time there will be a woman running a team's entire operations from track to boardroom.
January 21, 2013 -- Updated 1222 GMT (2022 HKT)
The Dakar Rally is one of the world's most dangerous motorsport races, and this year's edition has already been marred by tragic deaths.
January 31, 2013 -- Updated 1920 GMT (0320 HKT)
The famous circuit of Nurburgring is confirmed Thursday as the venue for the 2013 German Grand Prix after reaching a deal with F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone.
November 27, 2012 -- Updated 1536 GMT (2336 HKT)
It did not take very long for the inevitable question to be asked -- just how good a driver is Sebastian Vettel?
January 24, 2013 -- Updated 1449 GMT (2249 HKT)
Changes to tires will make Formula 1 racing faster with more overtaking in 2013, according to the sport's official tire supplier Pirelli.
November 26, 2012 -- Updated 0935 GMT (1735 HKT)
Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, and contemporary pacesetters Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso were all contenders.
November 23, 2012 -- Updated 1332 GMT (2132 HKT)
Who is the greatest F1 driver of all time? Past and present drivers give their verdict on the contenders to CNN.
CNN has asked Formula One stars past and present, "Who is the best driver of all time?" Now we want to hear from you.
November 20, 2012 -- Updated 0948 GMT (1748 HKT)
A triumphant Lewis Hamilton called Sunday's United States Grand Prix the best race of 2012 but for many it was more important than that -- it was Formula One being reborn in the USA.
CNN's Ben Wyatt says Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso will seal their place in F1 history in Brazil this weekend.
November 25, 2012 -- Updated 1941 GMT (0341 HKT)
The F1 title race will be fought over 20 races this season. Keep track of the latest standings in the drivers' and manufacturers' championships.
November 16, 2012 -- Updated 1520 GMT (2320 HKT)
Mario Andretti says the key to rekindling F1 in the U.S. is a buzzword that has been flying around Washington faster than a Ferrari -- stability.
Today's five most popular stories