Hamilton: We need to improve to catch Ferrari

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Ferrari's second consecutive one-two finish of the season has put clear distance between them and Formula One's chasing pack, leaving McLaren's Lewis Hamilton looking for more from his car.

Kimi Raikkonen cruised to victory in an accident-riddled Spanish Grand Prix at the weekend, with team-mate Felipe Massa finishing second.

Hamilton finished in third place but teammate Heikki Kovalainen had to be airlifted to hospital after an horrific crash left him trapped in his McLaren for five minutes.

McLaren chief Ron Dennis later said Kovalainen was "safe and well" and had no broken bones or head injuries.

However, perhaps more damaging for McLaren and the other teams was the ease with which Ferrari, who now lead the drivers' and constructors' championships, controlled the race.

Hamilton said he worked hard during the race to match Raikkonen and Massa.

"I pushed extremely hard, particularly in the second and third stints and tried to keep up with the Ferraris... we did a good job but there are areas where we definitely need to improve."

McLaren have a lot to do if Ferrari's buoyant mood is any indicator.

Luca Baldisserri, head of Ferrari's trackside operations, said the result was "very satisfying" and augured well for their season. "Usually the Spanish Grand Prix is the litmus test for the pecking order down the grid after the first run of races outside Europe.

"From what we saw it seems we are maintaining a slight advantage, which means we can be reasonably confident about the rest of the season."

Moreover, Raikkonen indicated that the Ferraris did not push too hard.

"I did not get a perfect start but it was enough to keep the lead and then we tried to control the situation."

Meanwhile, for two-times world champion Fernando Alonso it was a weekend of mixed blessings after he qualified second on the grid only to retire during the race with an engine problem.

"The weekend has been both sweet and sour," the Spaniard said.

"The car was very competitive and we were up there with the Ferraris and BMWs, which is a good first step. I think now we should hopefully start enjoying races again and racing closer to the front.

"Although I did not finish [neither did his team-mate Nelson Piquet], it was a nice surprise to see that we are more competitive than we thought we would be."

Red Bull had their best finish of the season, Mark Webber finishing fifth after starting seventh on the grid.

The Australian was delighted with the result.

"I'm very, very happy. The team worked very hard following the test to get all the parts ready in time and it paid off. We didn't have a great start to the race, but we had good pace and we were there at the end, it's a great to get a strong finish," Webber said.

"I didn't have very good grip in the final stint, but we weren't under pressure at that point, so were okay. I'm happy with my driving and the team did an excellent job."

Briton Jenson Button also had something to cheer -- his first points for Honda this season after finishing in sixth position.

"The car was working well with the balance improving lap by lap, particularly on the last stint with harder tires I felt very comfortable. The team are really doing a good job," Button said.

"I got a really good feel for the new aero package during the race and it's definitely an improvement... when we get to the next race in Turkey, I expect the car to perform better than here." E-mail to a friend

All About Lewis Hamilton • Kimi Raikkonen • Felipe Massa • Heikki Kovalainen • Fernando Alonso • Mark Webber • Jenson Button