Sebastion Vettel failed to take the challenge to Mercedes following qualifying for tomorrow's Australian Grand Prix, ending a little under a second begind poleman Lewis Hamilton.
But the Ferrari driver insisted that he was not disappointed, feeling that while the gap with Mercedes was real, there was still a race to be run come Sunday.
"I think I said many times that we’ve done a step forward which I think we have and I think especially tomorrow we should be quite a bit closer.
"We expected them to be strong in qualifying which they were, I think we had a rougher start in rhythm certainly that I had, but it was just getting better throughout qualifying so very happy with the lap I had in the end.
Like most of the drivers in Q3, Vettel pulled into the garage following his initial run and never came back out.
"We called it there and saved a set of tyres for tomorrow. I think surely we’re not on the front row, but we still have high hopes for the race and it’s going to be a long year.
"We know that this car has a lot of potential so I think as a starting point starting third and fourth on the second row is a good achievement.
"The team has been pushing hard and as I said it’s going to be a long year."
As it happened: Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix
F1i's Australian Grand Prix preview
Monza erupted into pure scarlet-and-silver bedlam on Sunday as Kimi Antonelli orchestrated an electric, fairytale…
Fred Vasseur has conceded that Ferrari has been left with an ugly mess to clean…
George Russell has reached a brutally realistic conclusion about his 2026 title ambitions: Kimi Antonelli…
Max Verstappen left Monza with a podium finish but little satisfaction, insisting Red Bull’s lack…
Kimi Antonelli has spent much of his meteoric Formula 1 career being told he belongs…
Charles Leclerc has admitted that Ferrari’s latest intra-team skirmish crossed a line at Monza, conceding…