Vettel: Next few races will prove 'really crucial' for Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel says upcoming races will prove "really crucial" for Ferrari as the Italian outfit attempts to put itself in gear and catch up with arch-rival Mercedes.

Six races into its 2019 campaign, the Scuderia has yet to score a single win, its SF90 having failed to match the performance of Mercedes' dominant W10 despite its strong pre-season form.

Ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, Ferrari's deficit to the Silver Arrow squad in the Constructors' standings sits at 118 points, while Vettel is 55 points adrift from Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' championship, a shortfall that already leaves team and driver with no margin for error.

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"The next races will be really crucial for us trying to get back to the front and give a much harder time to Mercedes," admitted Vettel.

"Once we can establish that, then we have plenty of reason to look forward."

While not obsessed with his team's points gap to Mercedes, Vettel knows that Ferrari will need to deliver a big result in the next few races to sustain its title ambitions.

"It will be crucial to do it sooner rather than later, but at the moment I'm not too fussed at looking at 'this is the date it has to happen'," added the German.

"Clearly we are behind, clearly there is quite a big margin between Mercedes and the rest, Mercedes and also ourselves, so we have to close that gap and get ahead, otherwise it will be difficult to turn it around."

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