Ferrari haven’t quite conceeded defeat in 2013, but team principal Stefano Domenicali acknowledges the lengths it would take to overhaul Sebastian Vettel’s lead.
Fernando Alonso now sits 60 points behind his main rival after the Red Bull driver won yet another race to bring his ’13 tally to seven victories.
That lead will surely be hard to overcome in just six races, but the Italian insists they must be ready and waiting to take advantage of any misfortune Vettel might suffer.
“The fight for the title is ever more difficult but we must not give up the chase, even by a millimetre,” he said. “Certainly it no longer depends just on what we are able to do but we must try to be ready to benefit from any opportunity that might come our way between now and the end of the championship.
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-120x86.webp)
“Never say never: in sport something unexpected can always happen.”
Despite this, he admitted they have now switched much of their focus to next season in an attempt to ensure they do a better job than their rivals.
“Now it’s clear that 99% of our energies will be concentrated on the 2014 project, as complicated as it is important,” he added.
“We still have some new parts for the car that we will bring to the coming races but, above all, we will now try to make the most out of what we already have.”
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-350x250.webp)
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