Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene is taking a cautious approach regarding the Italian team's potential form next season, despite the huge progress made this year.
In his first season as team principal, the former Philip Morris executive, saw Sebastian Vettel secure three wins. However, he says it's not a given that Ferrari will catch Mercedes next season.
"I learned to be a Ferrari man and what it means to work in this company," Arrivabene said of his first year at the helm. "Then, over the course of the season, my role was simply to unite the team, to ensure that everyone, in their various departments, spoke to one another.
"When it comes to next season, there is no way one should start from the supposition that 'we are making a step forward, therefore we will win.' That's partly because we finished second and therefore we need to start from the basis of what the winners will do, how much they will progress, especially as they dominated the past two seasons. And that is our aim."
Regarding the 2016 car, he said: "We are working on it and we are doing so with great professionalism, but above all with respect towards those who have already won."
