Mercedes "Not 1 Second Ahead" Says Bottas

A recent analysis shows that the Mercedes might be as much as a second faster than Red Bull per lap in a race-simulation or long run, as they call it. Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes denies these claims however, saying that the playing field is much closer.

"We are definitely not a second ahead of the others," Bottas says.

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko thinks that all the difference will be in the engine, rather than anything else.

"We have the better chassis," he said to the German Auto Motor und Sport. "The difference is the engine."

Adrian Newey, designer of Red Bull, chips in by saying that the way that oil is consumed.

"For us, the oil consumption per 100 litres is 0.1 litres," Newey said. "Mercedes and Ferrari go the limit of 0.6 litres."