Helmut Marko says the performance achieved by F2 racer Nikita Mazepin at Barcelona's in-season test provided further evidence that Mercedes' W10 is vastly superior to its rivals.
Mazepin, a 20-year-old Russian currently racing in Formula 2 and who tested for Force India in the past, was handed a full day of running with the Mercedes squad this week.
And the young charger took full advantage of the opportunity awarded to him, setting the fastest time on Wednesday, a performance that did not go unnoticed by Red Bull's motorsport boss, although Marko underlined the qualities of the car rather than those of its driver.
"That a second-class Formula 2 driver can is fast right off the bat in the Mercedes shows just how superior it is. More superior than ever," Marko told Auto Bild.
Mazepin, whose career is bankrolled by his father, Russian chemical billionaire Dmitry Mazepin, likely owed his chance to test the winning W10 to the private testing deal he enjoys with Mercedes.
The driver's personal training programme - similar to the one Lance Stroll underwent with Williams - apparently includes 12 days of running on various tracks at the wheel of a 2017-spec W08.
"What surprised me was that Mercedes didn't even try to hide it and didn’t prevent Mazepin from setting the best time of the day, so the superiority is very clear now," added Marko.
Formula 1 moves on to Monaco next week where Red Bull Racing prevailed with Daniel Ricciardo last year.
But barring any unforeseen circumstances Marko sees Mercedes remaining strong in the Principality, even if the treacherous street circuit hasn't favored the Silver Arrows outfit in the past two years.
"Although the Mercedes has the longest wheelbase, their advantage there will be even bigger," added the Austrian.
"They’re true traction monsters and that’s the nuts and bolts of Monaco. We’ve found something, but it’s not enough."
"If Ferrari cannot generate downforce and traction, they’ll probably only finish sixth or seventh in Monaco
"Their weakness was evident in Barcelona's last which is much like Monaco. Their engine is very good but they lack downforce and extreme traction."
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