Kimi Raikkonen certain Ferrari Formula 1 team will catch Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton led Nico Rosberg home to secure Mercedes' second one-two of the season at Shanghai, with Sebastian Vettel and Raikkonen third and fourth respectively.

The result reasserted Mercedes' dominance following Vettel's shock win in Malaysia, but during the opening two stints the Ferraris were able to keep pace with Hamilton and Rosberg.

When asked if Mercedes can be caught by Ferrari this season, Raikkonen replied: "Yes. I don't see a reason why not.

"I think we have good plans already since last year and made big gains and will make big gains during this year.

"Everybody improves and it depends what the rest are doing but we trust the way our team is working altogether and what we are doing.

"So it definitely shows we are going the right way and doing the right things but you need time - you cannot make miracles overnight."

Raikkonen said the Shanghai result was evidence of different circuits suiting different cars rather than indicating that Sepang was a false dawn.

"Like Seb showed, we could win but obviously it depends," added the Finn.

"One circuit can be good for one team and the next can be a different story.

"We have to be up there. When something happens to them [Mercedes] or conditions change, we have to be there.

"I feel with the speed we will get there so we can regularly try to beat them in any conditions or at any circuit - but we need some more time."

Ahead of this weekend's Bahrain GP, Raikkonen said his goal is to improve his performance across practice and qualifying after a series of mistakes in the opening three races.

"We go there, try to do our best and try to clean up Friday and Saturday," he said.

"I don't see it is going to change a lot, but who knows? It is a new weekend, new circuit and we go there and do our best."