'Let's have no illusions about Mercedes' poor test'

How much value we can attach to the course of the winter test remains to be seen, but if it gives any indication at all, a great season awaits. Not only can Max Verstappen compete for the world title, but for neutral viewers Mercedes' dominance is being tested for the first time.

"For the first time since 2013, we’re heading to the opening round of the season with Red Bull as a realistic challenger for victory," Karun Chandhok says in his review of the test for Sky Sports F1. "They’ve never gone into the first race in this hybrid era as a genuine contender and I’m very excited to see if that does play out."

Mercedes' long wheelbase versus Red Bull's high rake

The seemingly minor rule change of cutting away part of the floor could well play a crucial role in this battle. As Mercedes and Red Bull Racing have had opposing philosophies when it comes to their floor space in recent years, the impact of the new guidelines is also quite different for both teams.

"The high rake concept that Red Bull have and AlphaTauri have seems to have aced the new regulations changes that cut some downforce at the back," says pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz about this. He also points to the fast times that Yuki Tsunoda set during the last day of testing.

According to Chandhok we shouldn't celebrate too early. Mercedes has shown in recent years that they are not to be trifled with. "Let’s not be under any illusions, they’re too good a race team to not be right in the championship fight this year," he says.