Sebastian Vettel is certain Ferrari can rise above Mercedes next year if it continues to put pressure on the reigning world champions.

Ferrari finished a distant second to Mercedes in the constructors' championship this year, but closed in on the front of the field with significant improvements over its 2014 campaign. Vettel has no doubt that beating Mercedes is possible if Ferrari can carry its form into 2016.

"Obviously we had upgrades on our engine and we upgraded our car and naturally that brought us closer," he said. "Not close enough yet to really fight them and put them under pressure - but I 100 per cent believe that they are beatable, especially when you put pressure on them.

"I think our strategy has to be to focus on ourselves, like we did the whole season, work on ourselves. We had a lot of smiles this year and if we can increase the number of smiles [in 2016], it is also good news for the result next year."

Vettel described Ferrari's turnaround from 2014 as a miracle.

"Of course it is always more difficult to equalise or to go in front. I just had one of our guys coming in and it was one of the first guys I met last year at the test where I didn't drive, but got to know the guys for the first time and if I think back to that time to where we are now it is a miracle.

"It is a miracle where we started off in the winter, setting fastest times, but [then] knowing in Australia and getting the confirmation we are a long way behind. Then I haven't seen any other team making that much progress throughout the season."