Ferrari's Alonso looks to overtake Vettel for F1 championship lead with victory at Bahrain GP

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Britain's formula one driver of McLaren Mercedes Jenson Button, right, and Brazil's Felipe Masaa of Ferrari, left, attend a press conference ahead of Sunday's Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, April 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) (The Associated Press)

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Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, left, of Spain is sprayed with champagne by second placed Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain after winning the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix in Shanghai, China, Sunday, April 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) (The Associated Press)

SAKHIR, Bahrain – Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is quickly emerging as the most likely candidate to end the recent dominance of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

Alonso ended his 12-race drought with a dominant victory in China last weekend.

The two-time champion has the chance to overtake Vettel in the drivers' championship with a win Sunday at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The 31-year-old Spaniard is doing his best to tamp down expectations. He says it's early in a 19-race season, where the first three races have had three different winners.

Three-time defending champion Vettel acknowledged that his Red Bull was no match for the Ferrari in China, where he finished off the podium for the first time this season. But the 25-year-old German is confident he can defend his title in Bahrain.