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Fernando Alonso is heading into this weekend's British Grand Prix optimistic that Ferrari can remain a force in the world championship battle, even though the upgrades it took to Valencia did not deliver the step forward it had hoped for.

The Spaniard had been expected to challenge for victory in Valencia with the new exhaust-blown diffuser on his Ferrari, but instead he was outpaced by Red Bull Racing and McLaren in qualifying - and then lost out badly in the early safety car phase of the race.

Despite that disappointment, Alonso thinks the true pace of the F10 will be better highlighted at the high-speed Silverstone circuit - and he is staying bullish about his team's overall chances in what he thinks is a key part of the title battle.

"It is a crucial moment in the season, with three races coming up in the space of four weeks," Alonso wrote on the official Ferrari website. "We are ready, both on the technical front and physically.

"In Valencia, we introduced significant updates on the F10 and there will be more in Silverstone and the races after that.

"The development programme is intensive and I think we will see it produce results. We have also prepared very carefully from the physical point of view, given that the next events are all very close and one needs to be at a hundred percent all the time."

Alonso concedes that the quick nature of Silverstone will not play to the strengths of his F10, but he sees no reason to be downbeat about his form - especially with rain an ever-present threat in Britain.

"The track seems reasonably similar to the way it was, with a lot of very fast corners, which will not suit us that much," he said. "However, it's a fact that the configuration of the F10 seen in Valencia should give us a boost in these quick corners, so it is best to wait and see where we will be: I remain optimistic.

"Then, there is always a chance of rain playing its part at Silverstone. I would be very surprised to have a completely dry weekend and we will be ready to tackle any situation that comes our way."

