Mercedes and Hamilton the absolute favourites - Horner

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There is no doubt in Christian Horner's mind that Lewis Hamilton is once again the absolute favorite to clinch the world title this year.

The Mercedes camp, including its drivers and non-executive chairman Niki Lauda, admit to being impressed by Ferrari's relative performance since the beginning of pre-season testing, although the abundant praise is perhaps a ploy to put the Scuderia under pressure.

The Red Bull Racing boss believes that the German outfit still has the upper hand, although Horner hopes it will be a three-way battle this year.

"Well, I hope there’s three," Horner told Racer.

"Mercedes have won more than 50 grands prix over the last three years, we’ve won five and Ferrari have won three.

"It would be wonderful to have three teams going head-to-head each grand prix weekend and you having to get it all right on the day to come out on top.

"That’s the utopia of hopefully what this season will be."

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Horner not only puts Mercedes at the top, he also believes Hamilton remains the main contender with the Silver Arrows team.

"Hamilton is the clear favorite; he’s the de facto number one in that team now.

"Ferrari look like they’ve got a good car, we’re confident we’ve got a good car and we’ve got a strong team that will be developing hard throughout the season," Horner added.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.