Marko jubilant: ''We knew we had to be there from the beginning''

The winter test went well for Red Bull Racing. The team drove more laps than Mercedes, was faster than their biggest competitor and the car also looked more stable. Helmut Marko looked back on this test with satisfaction.

Mercedes have dominated Formula One for the past seven years - but with a strong winter test behind them, Red Bull Racing finally look set to be there at the start of the season. Red Bull's recent Achilles heel has been that they tend to start the season slowly and that has cost them in the past, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

"We knew we had to be there from the beginning. This time the test finally went well and of course you can build on that. One swallow doesn't make a summer yet, because if Mercedes has driven the petrol we suspect, then they are about the same speed," Marko told Sport 24.

However, the Austrian also knows that points aren't given out until the first race. ''Everyone's holding back now. I am looking forward to the start of the season, when everyone has to put their cards on the table. We want to compete for the world title, and we will do everything we can to do that" Marko concluded.