Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies admits it became clear as soon as pre-season testing that 2020 would be a "very difficult" year.

This season the Scuderia slumped to their worst finish (sixth) in the Constructors' Championship since 1980, scoring just 131 points, their lowest since 2005, which also had a very different points system.

An underpowered engine following an FIA investigation and aerodynamic problems with the SF1000 were at the heart of Ferrari's problems.

And though some thought at the time that the team might have been sandbagging in testing, Mekies recalled those six days in Spain and the challenges that followed.

“In Barcelona, we quickly realised that we had serious concerns about some aspects of the performance of the car,” he said via RaceFans in Abu Dhabi.

“We knew it was going to be very difficult. We didn’t know yet at that time how long it was going to be for us to understand that fully and even less to fix it.

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“Then we went to that crazy situation where we all jumped into Covid at that stage and couldn’t touch or run the car for a few months,” Mekies noted. “So I guess there were indications there that the season would be extremely difficult, as it turned out to be.”

As the season progressed, Ferrari would make some progress through a series of upgrades and that, the sporting chief claimed, reflected well on the Scuderia's ability to react.

“It’s certainly a good example of what you learn in a time of crisis,” he said.

“It’s in this sort of situation that you learn the most. And I think what we take away is the way the team has been able to stay united during this time to still try to push as hard as we could despite the disappointing results.

“There was a lot of small but very significant achievements in the year that were unnoticed because we were at the back,” he explained.

“But, again, it’s something that hopefully will make us stronger and that we will carry on to next year."

Mekies also paid tribute to outgoing driver Sebastian Vettel and recalled the farewell he got from Ferrari last weekend in Abu Dhabi.

“We wanted to say a real thank you to Seb for what have been these six years with us. He’s the third-most winning driver in Ferrari history," he commented.

“What we will keep with us is that he is an outstanding professional, that in good moments and in bad moments has been part of the team, putting it together.”

What also impressed Mekies was Vette's commitment to Ferrari despite heading into the year knowing his future laid elsewhere.

“Of course we are finishing in the most difficult scenario possible, but even in these conditions, it’s been a year where he has been pulling us together, always keeping constructive and positive no matter what difficulties we were having,” Mekies added.

“That’s the way you drive large teams like us, with everybody at the race track and Maranello.”