While Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso rates 2012 as his best season in Formula One, the Spanish driver says his car must be quicker next year if he is to fight for the title again.

Uninspiring qualifying times continually forced Alonso to weave his way up through the pack on race day, making his three victories and 13 podiums all the more impressive.

Wrangling with a car slower than the Red Bull and McLarens was hard for the double world champion who said Ferrari’s luck would run out if a repeat happened next year.

“For future, I think we need to improve the car,” Alonso told reporters after the final and deciding race of the season in Brazil was lost to Sebastian Vettel.

“We were behind the Red Bulls, behind the McLarens, and now, in the last couple of grands prix, behind Williams and Force India.

“We were clearly slower than them in pace so this is something we must improve next year because we cannot fight for a world championship if we are too slow.”

Alonso’s defeat by Vettel on Sunday came in a tense finale. Weather greased the track and the German’s car spun on the first lap and he fell to the back of the field.

A multitude of permutations lined Alonso’s path to a third drivers’ crown but Vettel worked his way up the field. Alonso’s second-placed finish was not enough as Vettel crossed the line in sixth to take the title.