Ferrari issue instruction over F1 unknown: 'We don't have to be scared'

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has insisted his team does not need to be scared of the significant development race likely to occur this year.

The sport is currently enduring a lengthy five-week break following the cancellation of the Middle Eastern races due to the ongoing conflict in the area.

F1's opening three rounds saw the start of the sport's new era under fresh technical regulations, with Mercedes rocketing to the head of the pecking order.

Ferrari has managed to appear on the podium at each grand prix so far - but Vasseur insisted the goal of the team is much higher.

“The target is to be on the podium and to win races,” he told media including RacingNews365.

“We have a deficit of performance on Mercedes, this is clear and in the power-limited section, it means that we have to do a better job, we have to improve.

“But overall that we are not that far away.” 

F1 teams are not restricted when it comes to the development of the cars, which have been built under a fresh set of regulations.

With such a long gap existing between the third and fourth round of the campaign, Vasseur insisted the pecking order could look much different when the season resumes at the Miami Grand Prix.

“We are scoring points, but we know that from Miami it will probably be another championship,” he said.

“It means that we have to continue to score good points, to [score] podiums, to not be far away from Mercedes and to be very efficient in terms of the championship.

“The season will be super long because the rate of development will be high.

“We don't have to be scared about this, we just have to score the maximum points that we can score every single weekend and continue to do a good job in development for the future.”