Webber not judging Red Bull pre-season pace

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Mark Webber isn't taking Red Bull's testing pace at face value, saying his former team isn't interested in any pre-season "shadow boxing" antics.

The timesheets in Barcelona offered only a limited glimpse of a Formula 1 pecking order which is very relative at best.

Red Bull Racing ran in Spain with a rather low profile compared to its faster rivals Ferrari and Mercedes, and Webber isn't the least bit worried.

"When the grandstands are empty Red Bull are never interested in getting involved in the shadow boxing," the former Red Bull stalwart told ESPN.

"That’s typical of Red Bull, I wouldn’t read anything into winter from them.

"Unfortunately the mileage wasn’t great, that’s the only thing we can read into that, pace-wise it’s impossible to read anything."

Red Bull wary of Ferrari self-confidence

The Aussie admitted however that Red Bull Racing's task is complicated this year by a power unit which has yet to match its rivals.

"They need to do a phenomenal job on aero to claw back the engine performance of the opposition, Ferrari and Mercedes.

"I think all will be revealed as whether they’ve done enough with the car to challenge for pole and front rows and win the start and control the race, which is going to be a tall order but totally possible."

Ferrari 's pace in Catalonia, validated by Kimi Raikkonen fastest lap overall, did impress Webber however.

"Ferrari were the surprise, even though there was shadow boxing to a degree, operationally they look very good.

"It only takes one thing to get screwed up in the first race but they look pretty good and that’s on a match with Mercedes in terms of reliability, by the looks of it at the moment, so that’s a huge feather in their cap."

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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.