Sebastian Vettel hopes the usual progression Ferrari make between a Friday and Saturday is enough to close the gap to Mercedes at the Austrian GP.

The German was third fastest at the end of practice on Friday, within a quarter of a second of pacesetter Lewis Hamilton as the updated Silver Arrow led the way at the Red Bull Ring.

Talking to reporters back in the paddock, Vettel would admit the performance of his main rival was potentially too much despite the relatively small margin.

“It’s quite close, I think Mercedes had the upper hand today, they looked very quick in all conditions but I think it was a tricky Friday,” he said.

The four-time world champion, who turns 31 next week, was still satisfied with the pace of Ferrari.

“I think we did a lot of laps, which was good, and we should be well prepared for tomorrow and also for Sunday," he stated.

“I think today we had good speed, on Saturdays we’re normally a bit stronger than on the first day so I’m hoping that’s the case tomorrow and then we’ll see.”

Vettel also believes success in qualifying will be crucial for a good result in the race, even with the three DRS zones that have been installed for this weekend.

“It’s always important to start from pole position but here it’s really difficult to overtake,” he claimed.