Mercedes sees Red Bull ahead: 'Are still six tenths faster now'

At Mercedes, they are not so sure yet. The team is happy with the balance of the new W14, but Red Bull Racing would still be a lot faster at the moment.

The first day of testing in Bahrain went smoothly for Mercedes. As usual, the German team did not compete for the fastest times in the winter test, but George Russell and Lewis Hamilton did reach a total of 152 laps together. With that, the team drove five fewer laps than Max Verstappen did on his own for Red Bull.

At Mercedes, they are satisfied after the first day. Technical director Mike Elliott revealed to Auto, Motor und Sport that the balance of the car is a lot better and the drivers also have much more grip at the rear. Yet there is no euphoria just yet. Indeed, according to someone inside Mercedes, Red Bull is currently still six tenths ahead.

Mercedes does have a habit of 'sandbagging' during winter testing, so the statements should be taken with a grain of salt. What is true, however, is that Red Bull got off to a very good start. The team drove the most laps of any team on Thursday and Verstappen also managed to record the fastest time of the day.