Domenicali says Ferrari is building an 'unbeatable structure'

"We are convinced this is the last disappointing season," Domenicali told Repubblica newspaper in an interview.

"[Jean] Todt won a lot, but he had time to build a winning team with extraordinary balance. I aim to do the same and am optimistic about the future.

"With this Red Bull... I may sound crazy, but I'm convinced we are building the basis to have an unbeatable structure. With a warning though: no lone men at the helm, like Red Bull with Newey, but a team.

"Alonso believes in it [the project]. He's signed until 2016, he is in the middle of his career. A winner like him wouldn't throw it down the drain, if he was not more than convinced about the project."

He added: "Ferrari is condemned to win: in our history we'll never be allowed to smile for a second place."

Ferrari has won just one race this year, and its drivers are all but out of contention for the title, with Fernando Alonso over 100 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel.

Despite its title chances nearly gone, Domenicali says Ferrari will not make the mistake of shifting focus to 2012 early again.

"It's a mistake we've already done in the past and we must not repeat it. Some of the current developments can be an important basis for next year," he added.

"The crucial point is to learn how to make full use of the tyres in every condition. From here to November we can experiment with peculiar set-ups and go forward with the work. Keep an aggressive approach, even though the championship is gone.

The Italian, whose team enjoyed a strong winter of testing, conceded seeing the huge gap to the front in the season-opening race was "shocking".

"Arriving at the first race in Australia and realizing we were 1.4 seconds off the pace," he said when asked what was the hardest part to accept about the season.

"Unacceptable and shocking. Hearing during the February test that everything was alright and then finding out in March that it wasn't. We were superficial about the exhausts, it was a tool for a jump forward and we underestimated it.

"The areas that can make a difference must be identified, if possible, even before our rivals do. While Alonso has scored 41 points more than last year in the first 12 races, it's not his fault if Vettel has killed the championship. We have made our mistakes, but he's been phenomenal."