Mercedes in underdog position: "Red Bull strong on both long and short runs"

Toto Wolff says Mercedes have done everything they can in recent days to provide Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas with a more competitive car when the Formula One circus returns to the Bahrain International Circuit next weekend. Red Bull, however, remains the favourite according to the Germans.

"The only thing we know for sure is that we must prove our ability to react," Wolff said in a preview of the first Grand Prix of the season on his employer's website. After the third day of testing was over, Mercedes immediately put their heads together. "And we started to figure out how we can return to Bahrain in stronger form in just a few days' time."

The competition will come mainly from the likes of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, it is expected. "Red Bull looked strong on both the long and the short runs, but as always with testing, it's difficult to be certain of true performance." The extent to which Mercedes have been 'sandbagging' during the winter tests is also unknown.

W12 not the best balance

The engineers have worked hard on the 2021-car in recent days. Both Mercedes drivers visibly struggled with the balance of the car. "Overall, it was a tricky three days of testing for us. The W12 wasn't as stable, predictable or planted as some of our rivals," said Wolff, who knows there is work to be done.

Once again the Austrian chief is trying to put the favourite role on Red Bull's shoulders. It's certainly not the first time Mercedes have tried to put themselves in an underdog position.