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Kimi Raikkonen believes Baku showed Ferrari has "a lot of work" ahead if it is to challenge Formula 1 pacesetter Mercedes on a regular basis.

Though Ferrari and Red Bull have been more of a threat recently, Mercedes has still won seven of 2016's eight grands prix so far.

Sebastian Vettel finished second for Ferrari in both Montreal and Baku but having challenging Lewis Hamilton for victory in Canada he was losing around a second per lap to Nico Rosberg when both were pushing in Azerbaijan.

Raikkonen believes there is plenty more Ferrari, which has spent all but four of its engine development tokens, must do.

"We have quite a bit of work to be done to be able to challenge Mercedes every race, in every condition and when it doesn't matter where we go," said Raikkonen, who finished fourth in Baku.

"It varies depending on the place, layout and conditions.

"To be really comfortable and challenge them, we have things to improve.

"If you take purely the result between the last couple of races, I'd say we were more close in Canada than in Baku.

"But then it swaps between different circuits, different conditions.

"It was not the easiest weekend for us.

"We were struggling with a lot of things but in the end, we turned it around."

Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said he was pleased with the result in Baku but knows the team must deliver a stronger package for its drivers if it wants to challenge Mercedes consistently.

"Looking at the pace of Mercedes versus our pace, in Baku we have done a very good job," he said.

"But we need to provide our drivers - who on Sunday did a very strong race - with a better car."