Alonso was ninth ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen at the Bahrain international circuit on Sunday as Lewis Hamilton once again dominated, winning in a second straight one-two finish for Mercedes.
The Italian team have taken just 33 points from the first three races of the new season, and are 78 points adrift of Mercedes in the constructors' standings.
Spaniard Alonso has accounted for 26 of those points and anticipates Ferrari to turn things around after conceding that this year's F14 T car was unsuited to the Bahrain circuit.
"This track (Bahrain) is one of the worst," Alonso said in quotes reported by AUTOSPORT.
"We are missing some of the characteristics that this track has so in China I expect (we will be) more competitive, Barcelona, Monaco, there are some circuits coming that we need to get some podiums at, hopefully.
"It's (Ferrari's struggles) not good. We would like to have extra speed and be able to battle with anyone but at the moment we miss on that aspect.
"But we have some strong points that some of the circuits will show."