( CNN ) -- The 2014 Formula One season may have only just got going , but Ferrari is already playing catch up . That 's the view of technical director James Allison , who admits the legendary Italian marque is some way behind early pacesetters Mercedes , labeling Ferrari 's performance in Sunday 's opening race as `` unacceptable . '' While Mercedes enjoyed a fruitful preseason and took the checkered flag at Sunday 's Australian Grand Prix through Nico Rosberg , Ferrari struggled by comparison . Double world champion Fernando Alonso was the team 's highest-placed driver in fourth position , but the Spaniard finished over 30 seconds behind the victorious Rosberg . `` While we can take some satisfaction from the reliability shown by the F14T , it is clear that we have our work cut out to improve our car in order to compete on equal terms with the Mercedes team , '' Allen told the team 's official website . Alonso finished Sunday 's race in fifth position , but he was elevated to fourth place after Red Bull 's Daniel Ricciardo -- who crossed the line in second -- was disqualified for breaching fuel flow regulations . Finland 's Kimi Raikkonen , who is starting his second spell as a Ferrari driver after winning the team 's last drivers ' championship in 2007 , finished seventh . Like every team on the grid , Ferrari has had to contend with a raft of regulation changes introduced by the sport 's rule makers for the 2014 season -- including the introduction of 1.6-liter V6 hybrid engines . Allison says his team is still coming to terms with the new rules , but he 's backed Ferrari to come back stronger than ever . `` With all the new regulations this year , the opportunities to improve the car are legion and we can expect the race to improve the cars to be even more intense than normal , '' he added . `` Our competitiveness was not acceptable in Melbourne , but we intend to fight our way back up the grid with the improvements that we will bring to the car . '' Meanwhile the FIA , the body which governs F1 , has announced its satisfaction with the fuel-flow meter which prompted Ricciardo 's disqualification from the Melbourne race . Ricciardo was disqualified post-race after it was discovered his car had exceeded the maximum fuel-flow rate of 100kg/hour . Allowing fuel to flow faster than permitted rate would give the driver an unfair power advantage over his competitors . The meter 's manufacturers Gil Sensors have received `` positive feedback '' from the FIA . If Red Bull wishes to appeal the punishment , it must do so by midday on Thursday . Ricciardo will be back on the track for the Malaysian Grand Prix on March 30 .
Ferrari is playing catch up , admits the team 's technical director . The One season Formula One season began on One season with Red Bull . Ferrari 's Fernando Alonso finished in fourth position in Ferrari . Daniel Ricciardo benefited from the disqualification of Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo .