Marko believes Barcelona weather giving Red Bull wrong conclusions

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko suggests that the weather in Barcelona could be showing the team are closer to rivals Ferrari and Mercedes than they actually are. Despite this, Marko is confident that the team can indeed close the gap when it comes to the first round in Melbourne in March.

Red Bull is feeling strong after a successful first week of testing with new power unit suppliers Honda. Despite rumours of a vibration issue within the engine restricting the team from full power runs, Red Bull is adamant that all is well with the new suppliers. Marko suggests the temperature currently in Barcelona is a nightmare for the teams with the new thinner thread Pirelli tyres.

"It's a nightmare. The thinner tread is supposed to minimize graining, but at low temperatures, the tires graze anyway," Marko told Auto Motor und Sport. "We have to be hell-bent not to draw the wrong conclusions and to let ourselves be guided in the wrong direction in vehicle development," 

Despite his belief that these problems are giving the team false hope that they are closer to the front than they actually are, he is confident that upgrades being brought to the car for the second week of testing will help close the gap.

"The two-tenths that we miss on Ferrari, we have to find on the chassis side. [It'll be] gone by Melbourne at the latest." Marko added.