It's early days, but Vettel names his favourite

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Sebastian Vettel knows it will be a long haul from Melbourne to the end of the season in Abu Dhabi, but the German sees Mercedes starting the season as outright favourites.

The Ferrari driver, who gave Lewis Hamilton a good run for his money in the first half of last year, played down any predictions associated with the first week of pre-season testing in Barcelona given the adverse weather which limited teams' mileage.

But Vettel still believes Mercedes will lead the charge when the season kicks off in Australia on March 25th.

Longer, narrower SFH71 is 'evolution' of 2017 Ferrari - Binotto

"I think Mercedes is the favourite so if we can be close, very close, closer than last year, that would be great, and then we see from there," said the German, speaking on Thursday in Barcelona.

"It's a long year, it's March, we will keep going until the end of November. So it's a long time from here until the end of the season."

Ferrari's challenge of Mercedes' dominance in 2017 came after the Scuderia enjoyed a big step forward over the winter. But Vettel was indefinite when asked if similar progress had perhaps been achieved by the House of Maranello this year, thanks to its latest war horse, the SF71H.

"Anything is possible. But I think to answer your question, I don't know the answer yet," he said.

"So far, things have been looking OK, but there has been very limited running for everyone, so it's very difficult not just for yourself to judge but also to judge compared to the others.

"To be honest though it's not that important in the first week. You just want to make sure the car is running. But that's been tough as well because there wasn't that much running."

"It's a new car so everybody's excited," he added.

" It's just a bit of a shame when you don't run as much as you can. But I think it's the same up and down the pit lane as everyone is keen to get some running about you're not able to tick all the boxes and can't find an answer to all the questions that you have."

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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.