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Marko: 'Hard work to catch up to Merc'


LONDON, England - Reigning Formula 1 champion team Red Bull is hoping to be "at least within reach" of dominant Mercedes within a month.

Mercedes, after winning in Australia and Malaysia, scored agaiin when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg pushed each other hard in a long wheel-to-wheel battle out front in Bahrain. Hamilton won.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said it was "the first time we saw Mercedes true potential", amounting to a two-second per lap advantage over the rest of the field.

NEED TO CATCH UP

Horner warned: "In China, Mercedes will again be very difficult to beat given the 1000m straight, but then once we get back to Europe we need to start making inroads."

The team'sHelmut Marko, referring to the Spanish GP on May 11 and beyond, agreed: "Our hope is that we are at least within reach by Europe."

He told Austrian Servus TV: "You need a good engine in Bahrain and China will also be difficult with two long straights. But in Barcelona and Monaco the chassis has more importance again."

Marko hailed Mercedes' current advantage: "We and Ferrari have a lot to do to even come remotely close to them. This will be a process that will not be achieved by a stroke of genius,."

Ferrari, which alongside Mercedes and Renault is the other engine manufacturer in F1, is also pushing to improve.

The works team's Fernando Alonso, who is testing in Bahrain this week (March 7-11), said: "We have the resources and the potential.  We have a very aggressive (development) programme, which we need."

Ferrari customer Sauber agrees that Mercedes' rivals need to work hard to catch up. Chief engineer Giampaolo Dall'ara said: "In Bahrain it was obvious that one of the three manufacturers has a huge advantage regarding the powertrain."
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