Fernando Alonso has denied that Ferrari is yet to turn its engine up to full capacity since the start of the 2014 season, and reveals an ERS glitch hampered the team during the Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton, a title favourite with the dominant team Mercedes, downplayed the German squad’s superiority when he said at Sepang: “I’m sure Renault have not turned their engine up to max. It’s the same with Ferrari. If you look at their apex speed, they have a good car.”

According to Spaniard Alonso, however, that’s not right. “As far as the electrical side, yes, we are using the full power.

“But in the early laps in Melbourne we had a problem that we were blocked and so it didn’t work fully,” he is quoted by El Mundo Deportivo.

Alonso is referring to the energy-recovery side of the new V6 turbo power unit that, in the opening phase of a Grand Prix, is automatically blocked by the FIA from operating.

But the Ferrari-powered cars in Melbourne were without up to 100 horse power for the entire first stint until the pitstop, due to an FIA glitch.

It is also clear that Ferrari’s power unit is around 13 kilograms overweight.