Mercedes notes: 'Red Bull found lap time through upgrade'

On the last day of the winter test at the Bahrain International Circuit Red Bull Racing came up with an update for the RB18. For the time being the new parts seem to work well, as both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez set good lap times. This has not escaped the notice of the competition.

According to Auto, Motor und Sport Mercedes engineers report that Red Bull Racing has found lap time with the current update. "The car is now better in the slow corners," echoes the German racing stable.

This would appear from GPS data analyzed by Mercedes itself. If that is indeed the case, the updates are having the desired effect. Halfway through the afternoon session on Saturday, Verstappen's and Perez's names are at the top of the timesheets, so Red Bull can be satisfied for now.

Meanwhile, Mercedes has traditionally taken on the role of underdog. Lewis Hamilton even goes as far as to claim that his team would not be able to compete for victories. According to the Brit, the car has "potential," but there are still quite a few obstacles to overcome.