Vettel nominates Mercedes for Formula 1 title

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel says Lewis Hamilton and his team Mercedes are the favorites to win the Formula One Formula One championship again this season, but his team will do what they can to beat them.

The competition between the two drivers, each with four titles, caught the spotlight last season, before Ferrari fell, due to problems with the efficiency of the car and crashes.

Vettel won the world championship from March to September, but ended the season with five wins, against nine for Hamilton.

"I think Mercedes will start this year as the candidate, so if we could get closer to last season, it would be great," the German driver told Sky Sports on the final day of the first pre-season test in Spain. A long year, now we are in March, and we will continue until the end of November. "

Vettel won his four titles, with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, and saw Mercedes dominate the title in the last four years.

Ferrari have not won the drivers title since Kimi Raikkonen won the title in 2007 and won the last title in 2008.

"We certainly want to regain the title, " Vettel said . "This is our ambition, our goal is to return the title to Maranello."

The hope for the new season is that engine manufacturers will soon be performing and that the sport will be more competitive when the 21-race season starts in Australia on March 25.

Hamilton was the fastest, on the final day of the tests, and the British driver did so, using the slower middle tires.

But Vettel, who was the fastest on Tuesday, before snow and rain, was comfortable.

"So far things look good, but all the teams have had to make fewer miles, so it's very difficult to judge yourself, but also the referee compared to the other teams," he said.

"I do not think it's very important. In the first week, you just want to make sure the car works well, but that was also difficult, because we did not go long distances."