Jan.10 (GMM) Red Bull is pushing hard to prepare its 2011 car for the first day of winter testing next month.

The energy drink company's motor sport consultant Dr Helmut Marko confirmed world champion Sebastian Vettel's recent claim that the RB7 is on schedule to make its track debut on 1 February at Valencia.

"We are going right to the limit in the build-time of the new car," Austrian Marko, 67, told German newspaper Bild.

"We will need every minute until the first of February in Valencia," he added.

Marko hailed Red Bull's car designer Adrian Newey as a "genius" and said his 2011 car is an "evolution not a revolution" of the title-winning RB6.

"What I have seen of the car so far makes me optimistic," he said.

"Last year Sebastian lost 66 points because of technical defects and we gave almost all of them to Fernando Alonso.

"If we can get rid of the bad luck and mistakes of this year, we will defend the title," said Marko.

Latest F1 News - Mobile version

26 Feb: New Ferrari not quickest in field - Domenicali 26 Feb: Red Bull still best in 2013 - Tost 26 Feb: 2014 French grand prix 'possible' - Prost 26 Feb: Danica Patrick 'not interested' in F1 switch 26 Feb: Report - Gilles Simon working on F1 engine for Honda 26 Feb: Gutierrez plays down link to Carlos Slim 26 Feb: Caterham exhaust 'legal' insists van der Garde 26 Feb: McLaren replaces Mercedes-bound Lowe 25 Feb: 'Engine maps' trouble for Red Bull, Lotus - report 25 Feb: Mercedes-bound Lowe to miss 2013 opener - report 25 Feb: Mercedes 'in group of teams' behind Red Bull - Lauda 25 Feb: Gutierrez expects Hulkenberg to beat him early in 2013 25 Feb: New Ferrari 'much better' than 2012 - Massa 25 Feb: Teams 'will adapt' to new tyre situation - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Tight rules make today's F1 cars 'the same' - Forghieri 25 Feb: Williams removes controversial exhaust trick 25 Feb: Contract 'conflicts' cause of Marussia test snub - Razia 25 Feb: Lotus to fight Red Bull for title - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Marussia 'ahead of Caterham' - Chilton 25 Feb: Sutil will not stay in F1 as test driver The latest F1 News - Mobile Version