Mercedes admit there is not much between them and Ferrari

10 points. That’s all the gap is as we enter the summer break. Mercedes 245, Ferrari 235. Mercedes 5 wins, Ferrari 4 wins. Mercedes 14 podiums, Ferrari 15 podiums. There is almost nothing to choose between the two teams and Mercedes’ technical director James Allison has conceded that this is true.

Ferrari started the season on top by winning the first two races, but Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have won five of the last nine, with Ferrari only winning two.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen have won one of these races each, with Australian Ricciardo also triumphing in China.

Vettel threw away a simple win at Hockenheim, but his team mate Kimi Raikkonen has been a figure of consistency, finishing on the podium in each of the last five races, the longest run for any driver this season.

Allison admits that whilst his team is stronger in some areas, Ferrari have the upper hand in others.

He said: "It tends to vary a little bit track to track, race to race and as the development race has ebbed and flowed through the season. But, there are a few patterns that are relatively constant.