Crash.Net F1 News  Alonso: Kimi was too fast for us  18 March
2013  Fernando Alonso has admitted that the combination of Kimi
Raikkonen and Lotus appeared unbeatable in the Australian Grand
Prix, but refused to blame Ferrari's strategy for his defeat.
The Spaniard, who acknowledged that beating Sebastian Vettel's
pole-winning Red Bull into third place had felt like victory in
itself [ see separate story], conceded that, without the
intervention of the safety car, he was unlikely to have been
able to dice with Raikkonen, who made one stop fewer for tyres
than his main rivals.  “I think we were closer to victory in Abu
Dhabi [last season] or closer than what we were here today,” he
claimed, “We didn't have the pace to fight with Kimi today - he
was too fast for us and he did a fantastic job. I think, in Abu
Dhabi, it was different with the safety car. I think, with 15 or
20 laps to the end of the race, we really had the opportunity to
fight for victory there, [but] today they were too fast.”  Asked
whether he