Sebastian Vettel is slowly but surely coming together with his Ferrari SF71-H, but insists that more improvement will be necessary to counter its rivals challenge.
The German driver admitted that his win in Melbourne had been achieved behind the wheel of a car in which he had yet to put his full confidence.
Subsequent hard work before Bahrain, mainly centered around the Ferrari's front work, raised his confidence level although the four-time world champion conceded that his win at Sakhir was likely also the result of Mercedes' own under-performance at a venue which did not suit its W09.
"I can't speak for them but I think it's always a combination of things. Probably the circuit came our way. [But it was] mostly the fact I had a better feel with the car," Vettel told Motorsport.com.
"We worked on the set-up, [which] helped us to extract more. It was more consistent on one lap but also in the race. So, I felt just healthier and more in control.
"How much they struggled, I don't know. They looked pretty handy at the end of the stints, at least, and in qualifying the gap wasn't massive.
"Overall it's been close but obviously it's good to be just ahead."
Two successive wins won't make Vettel complacent however. As Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne said in his post-race statement, it's a long season, with a close battle between the trio of front-runners just getting started.
"It's clear that we need to improve," he said.
"Valtteri and Lewis are pushing very hard. Obviously, Kimi, alongside, is pushing incredibly hard. The two Red Bull guys with Max and Daniel are pushing hard.
"Those three teams and six drivers are very, very close to each other. It will be important to improve and be quick everywhere you go. That helps.
"The quicker you are, the more you are one unit with your car, the happier you feel, the more you're able to extract when it really matters."
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