Red Bull planning 'new car' for Barcelona

Bahrain - Red Bull will take "a new car" to next month's Spanish grand prix in Barcelona.

That is the news from top team official Dr Helmut Marko, who said Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo are doing the best possible "damage limitation" until then.

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"The drivers are our advantage at the moment," he told Auto Bild.

Marko said: "While we are not able to compete with Vettel and Hamilton, we can leave Raikkonen and Bottas behind, and that's our best damage limitation right now."

Indeed, Red Bull has started the year significantly behind 'top two' Mercedes and Ferrari, but Marko says the team is working hard to rectify it for the start of the European season in Barcelona.

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"In Barcelona we are coming with a new car," he said.  "A race later in Montreal, Renault will be delivering a new, more powerful engine.

"Then it should be possible for us to win on our own power and make the current two-way (driver) fight into a four-way fight," added Marko.

Constructors standings:

Mercedes 66
Ferrari 65
Red Bull 37
Toro Rosso 12
Force India 10
Williams 8
Haas 4
Renault 0
Sauber 0
McLaren 0