Nico Rosberg has said that he does not think Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari are ready to topple Mercedes in Formula 1.
The two top teams battled for the title this year, but ultimately Lewis Hamilton won the championship with two races to spare.
Outgoing world champion Rosberg told German source T-Online: "I do not think Vettel will have a better chance next year.
"This year, the opportunity for him to win the championship was huge, but Mercedes as a whole team is just so strong.
"So I think the gap between them and Ferrari could even get bigger in the coming season.
"But let's see. Even Mercedes has made mistakes, and Sebastian has to hope for more of that and to be there at the right moment."
Hamilton has an unassailable 56-point lead heading into tomorrow's Brazilian Grand Prix.
