Helmut Marko adamant Red Bull Racing is 'ready'

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Helmut Marko says Red Bull Racing's schedule has suffered no setbacks over the winter and the team will present itself at pre-season testing in Barcelona fully prepared.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit typically endured a slow start to its recent campaigns, with wind-tunnel correlations issues among the problems which hampered its early development last year.

The team has worked ahead of schedule since it started designing its 2018 charger and hopes to hit the ground running in Melbourne next month.

First laps in new car will tell Verstappen where he stands

"We are ready for 2018," the Red Bull motorsport boss told Sport Bild.

"In past years we had technical problems at the beginning of the season, but now everything is going according to plan.

"I am sure that we will be competitive from the first test and will continue the good series that we had in the last third of 2017," he added.

Red Bull's confidence in tackling Mercedes and Ferrari this year could be tempered however by Renault's power unit which was no match to its front-running rivals in terms of power or reliability.

The French manufacturer believes its hard work over the winter and the progress it has achieved should alleviate fears of under-performance or lack of reliability.

Max Verstappen views the latter as more important however.

"Red Bull can be champion with a slightly weaker engine, which they have already shown four times," said the Dutch driver who isn't ruling a championship bid.

"I want the title as fast as possible."

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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.