Maurizio Arrivabene has insisted that Ferrari must keep their eye on the goal of winning the 2016 world championship.

Amid reliability troubles and recent race incidents for Sebastian Vettel, some suggest that the pace and points gap to Mercedes is already looking insurmountable.

Team boss Arrivabene, however, is staying upbeat.

"Everyone was aware before the season that an enormous task was in front of us," he told Italian media after the Russian Grand Prix.

"For the world title, Ferrari must not give up and I will not allow it. We have 17 race weekends still ahead of us and I am not convinced that the championship train is pulling out of the station."

However, the Vettel-Daniil Kvyat crashes aside, Sochi was not a good weekend for Ferrari in terms of pace.

Arrivabene said: "Yes, but due to the circuit characteristics of Sochi we also expected this.

"It must not happen again but I am convinced that we will be much stronger in the next circuits compared to here. Firstly because these circuits suit our car better and because the recent developments on the engine are more of an advantage on circuits like Barcelona."

He is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport as saying: "Ferrari has the human, technical and financial resources to stay in the race and reverse the current trend of the championship."

The season continues with the Spanish Grand Prix in two weeks' time.