Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene brilliantly joked about Sebastian Vettel's need to wear elbow pads to earn more wins and put in a stronger championship fight next year.

On the track this year, Vettel often found himself second best, losing out to Mercedes for another season yet again.

Vettel span round in both China and Japan after contact with Max Verstappen, and then in France, he clipped Valtteri Bottas at the start.

He came off worse in Monza after an opening lap incident with Lewis Hamilton, and in the United States after coming into contact with former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

The German also gifted Hamilton the German GP after a mistake, but Vettel had no idea why his Ferrari was constantly pirouetting throughout the year.

Keeping faith in one of his strongest competitors, Arrivabene has come up with a fun way for Vettel to get into the battling mentality and bring home the championship for Ferrari next season.

“Maybe we will give Sebastian Vettel elbow pads to fight back better when things get tough with his rivals,” Arrivabene said, per Planet F1.

“No, seriously – we are pursuing the same goals as Seb.

“Seb has to show his best at the wheel of a Ferrari. Of course, we have to give him the foundation, with a good car and impeccable work.

“If we can do that, and he does too, then I know that Vettel will get an extra portion of performance that will help us achieve big things.”

Despite what will be seen as a poor season from the German, he remains a driver with an impressive CV within Formula 1.

52 wins and four consecutive championships from 2010-2013 has made him a considerable force within the sport and ranks 5th in Formula 1 for the number of fastest laps set, recording a total of 36.

The 31-year-old will look to bounce back from this season and use his endless hunger for success to spur himself and new teammate, Monegasque wonder-kid Charles Leclerc from Sauber, onto victory.