Verstappen confident Red Bull can overtake Mercedes and Ferrari

Max Verstappen is confident Red Bull can challenge Mercedes and Ferrari this season, even if they cannot get ahead in qualifying. The Silver Arrows have been particularly vocal over their expectations that Red Bull can close the gap and give us a three-way title fight in 2018.

Both Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo suffered with reliability issues at various points in 2017, while pre-season issues with the wind tunnel left them behind the curve at the start of the year.

But Red Bull look to have picked up where they ended 2017, which saw Verstappen take a dominant victory in Mexico.

Though the Renault engine is likely to once again leave Red Bull with a deficiency to their rivals, Verstappen has seen enough in Barcelona to suggest that they can overcome it.

"First of all, we have to be closer," he said.

"Once you are within three or four tenths in qualifying, at least you can fight them in the race because normally in the race it should be a bit closer.

"We are definitely targeting to be in those three tenths.

"Our car from the beginning of 2017 to the end was already a massive difference, so we expect to be a lot closer.

"I don't know how close we will be, but we will find out in practice and qualifying over there [in Australia]."