Marko: Red Bull to drive "Melbourne trim" on Friday of second test

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing advisor Dr Helmut Marko has revealed his team will be driving in its "Melbourne trim" especially on Friday of the second test in Barcelona later this week, with all teams starting to chase lap times more as testing continues in Barcelona.

The general feeling seems to be that Red Bull will be Mercedes' main competitor in the upcoming season, with Ferrari reportedly not at the races with their 2020 challenger, the SF1000.

Marko echoes this statement, saying the noises out of Ferrari's camp aren't positive either after the first test at the Circuit de Catalunya last week.

"Ferrari drove with high fuel and a moderate engine setting, but the statements by both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc show that they were not where they had hoped in the first week of testing," the 76-year-old told AutoBild.

When it comes to his own team's testing schedule and expectations for the upcoming campaign, Marko fancies his side's chances over Ferrari as he revealed they'll be dialling up the engine settings later in the week.

“We will only get a clearer picture during the last test starting Wednesday. We will be driving the Melbourne trim, especially on Friday. I assume that the others will do the same. But I am convinced that we are Mercedes' main competitor."