Montezemolo wants in-depth analysis of Ferrari's work methods

Although Fernando Alonso snatched a shock win in round two in Malaysia, his Ferrari was not a consistent threat for victory until the fifth grand prix of the season in Spain, having mostly fought for minor points until then.

Alonso's consistency and determined driving helped him establish a mid-season points lead before he was overcome by Sebastian Vettel's late surge.

But di Montezemolo says it was the cause of the slow start to the campaign that needs to be addressed most urgently.

"What happened this year stems from what happened the previous year," he said.

"On this topic, I will be asking for an in-depth analysis and an improvement in the organisation and work methods, because next year, we want to have a winning car right from the first race, which has not been the case these last two years."

Despite his call for changes to Ferrari's methods, di Montezemolo had plenty of praise for his team's effort, as Alonso came within three points of denying Vettel.

"Certainly not winning the title is the cause for great sorrow and great regret, because we always want to win and we came close," di Montezemolo admitted.

"I am proud of the work done by the team in having produced the most reliable car, for never having got the strategy wrong and for making no mistakes at the pitstops. Right to the end, the team did its duty."

He felt Ferrari's lack of qualifying pace played a big part in its defeat.

"Even if we are the team that scored the most points in the last five races, even if I was pleased to see our two drivers on the podium yesterday, we lacked a car quick enough to get us to the front of the grid and that was the main problem we had all season," he said.

The team president is utterly confident that Alonso will deliver a title if Ferrari provides a suitable car.

"Fernando will react in his way, pushing even harder, aware that he will be unbeatable in a competitive car." di Montezemolo said.