Ferrari's first pre-season test got off to a subdued start with the Italian stable failing to match the lap times set by Red Bull, McLaren and even Lotus.That changed on the final day when Alonso clocked a 1:18.877 to finish Friday's running at the very top of the timesheets and second overall, his time only slower than Romain Grosjean's from Day three.
"It is still early and there is much work still to do to understand the many changes to the car compared to last season," he told Spanish daily AS.
"We are maybe at 20 percent of what we need to know but in the next test we will try to achieve the rest."
The one aspect, though, where Alonso is confident Ferrari have improved and have a great understand is with regard to the Pirelli tyres.
Last season the Italian stable struggled in qualifying as they were not able to get heat into the rubber, especially with the harder compounds.
This year Alonso reckons Ferrari, who hired Bridgestone's former F1 chief Hirohide Hamashim early in January, are on the right road to resolving that issue.
"I think we've managed to make better use of the tyres right from the first lap, which we could not do a year ago," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"What definitely needs improving is the aerodynamics and the reliability.
"To do only 40 laps in eight hours is a bit little, in Barcelona we must succeed in covering at least a hundred a day."
As for predictions for the upcoming season, the Spaniard said: "Where will I be in Melbourne? No idea but then I really do not know where I am here (Jerez), what position we are in."
Source: Planet-F1
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