Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have traded barbs on which team is the one to beat heading into the new Formula 1 season.
On Sunday, the pair sat next to each other in the press conference before heading out on track in the final afternoon of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Over the first two-and-a-half days, the story has focused on issues for Mercedes on multiple fronts, while Red Bull has run reliably and speedily.
And Hamilton does believe the Milton Keynes-based outfit is a force to be reckoned with going into the early races.
"It's quite impressive to see the speed of some of the other teams. I think Red Bull are looking particularly strong," the world champion said.
Also Read:
- Mercedes not worried yet despite balance and reliability concerns
- Marko responds after Wolff puts Red Bull 'in the favourites circle' for 2021
- Hamilton: Eighth title not a 'deciding factor' in F1 future
"They've had some really good running, both drivers have been looking quite strong. They are going to be a different machine or animal this year with a really good, strong line-up and a really good car.
"Having seen them win the last race, you can imagine they are going to be right there in the first race and it's going to be a great long battle with them through the year."
Verstappen though was quick to respond, believing the reliability questions and apparent instability of the Mercedes W12 doesn't change the form guide.
“I don’t think we are the favourites. If Mercedes wins that many Championships in a row, I think it’s still the same as before we came to the test," said the Dutchman.
He also noted how testing can be famously unreliable at predicting the order.
“It’s still a bit early to say. I’ve only done the first day, it was just a very positive day because we did a lot of laps, and that has been different in the past," he added.
“At the end of the day, it’s a test. The amount of times that Mercedes has topped the testing in the last few years is not that high, so it doesn’t really say a lot about pure performance.
“But for us, it’s just all about gathering a lot of data.”
At the same time, Verstappen's first impressions of the RB16B remain strong.
“The feeling after the first couple of runs, of course, you always have to adjust things and so on, but it felt very positive," he said.
“At one point I had a good balance in the car and it just felt nice to drive. It was very, how do you say, predictable!”
Beyond Mercedes and Red Bull, Hamilton also isn't ruling out a charge from the midfield.
"It's great to see McLaren looking strong and also Renault (Alpine)," he commented. "I'm excited also because that means more fun."
