Alonso Optimistic He Can Close Gap on Vettel

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Fernando Alonso is hoping to close the gap on championship leader Sebastian Vettel at the Spanish Grand Prix.

He says "until we are 75 or 80 points behind, we should be optimistic" of challenging for the Formula One title.

The two-time champion trails Vettel by 30 points after just four races ahead of this weekend's event. But the Spaniard feels for the first time in years Ferrari has a car good enough to dictate the race to Red Bull, rather than waiting for opportunities.

Alonso is fourth overall after wins in China and a second in Australia. He says "it's a weekend we approach with a positive mentality and not a defensive mentality (like) the first three years with Ferrari."

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