With the team out of the running for both titles following another disappointing season, the Italian outfit have been using recent races to run development parts for next year.

And it will be no different at Austin this weekend, according to Ferrari Engineering Director Pat Fry.

“After the back-to-back races in Japan and Sochi, we’ve had three weeks to prepare for these next back-to-backs in the States and Brazil,” he told the official Ferrari website.

“The extra week has given us more time to get ready and also to prepare some specific test items. They are all aimed at learning about car performance and trying to improve, but at this stage of the year, it’s more with an eye to 2015.”

Formula 1 underwent major regulation changes at the start of the year following the introduction of new the V6 turbocharged engines, and Ferrari and several other teams have struggled to come to grips with it.

Fry concedes they need to improve in all areas.

“Certainly, our knowledge and understanding has come on a huge amount,” he said. “It’s also clear, comparing us to our competitors, exactly where we need to improve.

“We need to work on all areas of the car and we’ve set ourselves some strong targets for power unit and aerodynamic development, both of which are key. We have to reach those targets to be competitive and that is the main focus at the factory now, as it will be for the next five months.”