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Cape Town - Although he lost the world title, which "sort of sucks", Sebastian Vettel says that doesn't detract from the "massive progress" that Ferrari have made this season.
Vettel's 2017 campaign got off to a winning start in Australia with the German bring his tally up to three from six by Monaco.
But with Mercedes seemingly edging ahead in the development war, Vettel managed just one more win before the summer break - and after that his title bid imploded.
A lack of pace at F1's high-speed circuits, a spate of reliability and a crash all meant he can best hope for a runner-up result in this year's championship.
However, the Brazilian GP winner insists there are still positives to be taken from 2017.
"Overall it was very positive this year," he said.
"Nobody expected Ferrari to be that strong, but we made the biggest step, and we were there from the start until the end.
"Of course, if you miss out on the championship it sort of sucks - there's no other way to say it - but you have to be fair as well.
"We were not very competitive last year, and we've made massive progress.
"Hopefully we can carry that strength into the next couple of years, not just next year, not just the winter but also the future.
"Our objective is to bring Ferrari back and dominate."
