Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsFerrari

Ferrari potential huge - Vettel

Sebastian Vettel's Hungarian Grand Prix win was no doubt the best way to kick off the summer break. But the Ferrari driver also intends to pick up where he left off when Formula 1 returns to work at Spa in a couple of weeks.

After a relative performance slump following Vettel's win in Malaysia, during which Williams emerged as the other potential candidate to contest Mercedes supremacy, Ferrari is now once again in hot pursuit of its victorious German rival.

" With a second win, several podiums and after some major changes made by the team over the winter, we are now beyond our initial planned target," Vettel told Germany's Sport Bild.

"We want to repeat the magic of the past. It is an ambitious goal, but I believe the potential is huge."

Realistically, this year's title appears compromised and beyond Ferrari's reach if normal circumstances prevail until the end of the season, but should the pace of the Scuderia's momentum persist, the Italian squad will give Mercedes more than just a run for its money in 2016.

"We are obviously trying to catch them as soon as possible," Vettel added. "We know it isn't easy as they have a powerful engine, a strong car and two strong drivers. But we are getting closer and closer, and at some stage we will turn the situation around."

Which is exactly what Formula 1 is hoping for. The sooner the better.

Click here for F1i's report on how each driver performed in the first ten races of the 2015 season

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.