Hamilton: 'Red Bull not on same level as Mercedes and Ferrari'

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Lewis Hamilton believes Red Bull racing is currently not operating on the same level as Mercedes and Ferrari, insisting however that the team remains a potential race winner.

Red Bull's pre-season form indicated that the Milton Keynes-based outfit would be a force to be reckoned with from the outset in 2018. But reliability issues have hindered the outfit's progress so far.

"The team has the potential to win races," Hamilton said.

"In testing they looked a lot faster than they have done in the last two races.

"But so far they are not operating on the same level as Ferrari or Mercedes. Ferrari have almost been flawless, and we are working on being flawless."

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Indeed, flawless execution from the Silver Arrows outfit will be required in China to help the team bridge the gap with the Scuderia following the latter's two successive wins delivered by Sebastian Vettel in Melbourne and Bahrain.

While he is expecting another tight fight with the red squad in Shanghai, Hamilton does not believe Ferrari enjoys a clear edge over Mercedes, putting Vettel's Australian win down to a lucky set of circumstances in the form of a well-timed Safety Car.

"I don’t feel that Ferrari did a better job in Australia, that would be unfair to say, because we outperformed them all weekend, it was just one little thing that tipped it over and sometimes you get lucky," he said.

"That was very much a fortunate scenario for them, but they capitalised on it.

"The next race they did the job, but they didn’t do the whole job, it was only on one car [that finished ahead]. The full package is getting a one-two, and neither of us have done that," he added.

"You can’t say they are perfect, and neither are we, but it is very close between us, and it’s going to be interesting to see how we perform from track to track.

"They’ve really picked up their engine programme, it’s really taken a big step into this season."

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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.