Sebastian Vettel insists his belief in Ferrar♔i is “even stronger” than ever before amid the Italian team’s quest to end its long wai♛t for a Formula 1 world championship.

Ferrari bids to bring Mercedes’ dominant run in F1 to a close in 2019, having not won a title 🙈of any description for over a decade. The Scuderia’s last constructors’ world championship success came in 2008, while Kimi Raikkonen remains the last driver to win a title for Ferrari thanks to his 2007 triumph.

Mercedes has won every single world championship on offer since the start of the V6 hybrid era in 2014 and co🏅uld go on to make further histor🦩y by becoming the first team to win six world championship doubles in a row, a feat which would surpass Ferrari’s record in the process.

After an underwhelming start to the 2019 campaign in Australia where Ferra🥂ri’s front-running pace from pre-season testing didn’t materialise, the Italian squad has stormed back in Bahrain dominating throughout practice before locking out the front row in qualifying with Charles Leclerc securing his 🧜maiden F1 pole position.

Speaking about Ferrari’🦄s prospects before the Bahrain Grand Prix, Vettel underlined his confidence in his team following a run of near-miss seasons hunting🍌 F1 world titles against Mercedes.

“I think [it is] even stronger,” Vettel responded w💙hen asked if his belief in Ferrari remains str🔯ong.

“Last year in the second half 🗹of the season when things went against what we hoped I still think there were plenty of positives: we built a very strong car and we were able to develop that car until the summer break⭕.

“T♔hen we started to get a bit wobbly understanding what was right with the car, we developed in the wrong direction and by the t🌠ime we got it back there were three or four races that were crucial and we lost too much.

“Overall, there were positives. I think it is specific to motorsport 🔯and Formula 1 especially, if you win everything is fine but if you come second it must have been horrible.

“I don’t think so as we still 🐈had highlights from last year with plenty of positives and made a good effort to finish second.”

Vettel ha💯s suffered recent setbacks i𒈔n the last two seasons following successive title defeats at the hands of Mercedes and five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Asked if he felt bruised by co💜ming out second to Hamilton, Vettel replied: “No. I think I didn’t lose out personally against him it was a team effort and I think we got beaten fair and square.

“The gap wasn’t minimal and it didn’t come dow𓆉n to just one thing in the end, or certainly it was a lot bigger than we hoped.

“But we got beatenꦗ by him and I got beaten by him, beaten by Mercedes. Bruised is not nice when you say it.”