Red Bull convinced Mercedes has more ‘up its sleeve’

Red Bull believes chief rivals Mercedes still has “a lot up its sleeves” despite its setbacks in Formula 1 pre-season testing.

Both teams had contesting fortunes over the three-day test in Bahrain, with Red Bull showing promising pace and reliability as it ended the final day setting the fastest time.

Mercedes on the other hand racked up the least milage of all the teams after suffering with mechanical issues and an unstable rear-end on the W12.

The Brackley-based outfit admitted it has its “work cut out” heading to the first race of 2021 after data revealed it was behind Red Bull, but the latter is refusing to get carried away.

Speaking to German TV station RTL, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko said while last week’s test was the team’s best ever, it is still the “first challenger” to Mercedes rather than clear favourites.

“That was certainly the best test since Red Bull Racing came into existence,” Marko said. “Everything worked right from the start.

“But we know that Mercedes is the favourite, and I assume that they drove with much more fuel than we did. The fact that they didn’t really align with others in terms of fuel load, that already shows that they must have a lot of confidence. So we assume they still have a lot up their sleeves.

“Mercedes is the favourite and we are the first challenger. That’s how I see the situation. Behind them, it’s going to be a battle. I think McLaren will stand out a bit, but not at the level of Mercedes and us. The midfield is certainly closer together.”

Having been unable to mount a title bid last year due to its 2020 car being too unpredictable at the rear, Red Bull’s aim for the RB16B was to correct that specific area.

Marko believes Red Bull has achieved this over the winter, which should allow Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez to reach the cars limit more consistently.

“Compared to Mercedes, our car definitely seems calmer,” Marko said. “Of course, that makes it easier for a driver. It’s predictable, and you can work better at the limit. But that was also the goal.

“We didn’t want to make the car slower so that it’s easier to control. We wanted a fast car that is predictable. And I think we achieved that well.”

Marko also praised how quickly Sergio Perez has adapted to life at Red Bull, backing the Mexican to push Verstappen hard over the 2021 season.

“With his routine and experience, we already expect him to be very close to Verstappen, at least in the race,” he said.