Aug.22 (GMM) Felipe Massa is expecting a stronger end to the 2011 season, with Ferrari and McLaren fighting at the front with Red Bull.

After Sebastian Vettel pulled out a huge lead with his earlier dominance, the German failed to win a single grand prix in July as Red Bull's main rivals closed the performance gap.

"I believe Ferrari and McLaren will be even more competitive in the coming races," Brazilian Massa told O Estado de S.Paulo.

"I can not imagine that Red Bull can go back to having their advantage of the first races," he added.

Massa, the lowest placed of all the Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari drivers so far in 2011, is a massive 164 points off Vettel's championship lead.

"For me," he continued, "I have suffered a bit with the harder tyres, so it is encouraging to know that they will no longer be used for the rest of the championship."

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