Haug believes that Mercedes will be 2014 title contenders

Beating Red Bull to the Formula 1 World Championship will in 2013 be "virtually impossible" for rival teams, former Mercedes boss Norbert Haug admits but says that the silver Arrows are well positioned for 2014..

The 60-year-old, who was replaced as the German marque's motor racing president by Toto Wolff for 2013 and beyond, tipped Mercedes to give the reigning world champions a run for their money next year.

"I think Mercedes will be very well positioned," Haug told

Servus TV.

"It also took Red Bull five years to build the team. This is the fourth one for Mercedes and I think [that] so far everything is on schedule.

"I believe [that] next year [they] will be for fighting for the world title," he told the Austrian broadcaster.

Also on the Servus

"It was pursued for good intentions," Haug agreed, "but in retrospect, you have to wonder if it is still real overtaking when one has his wing open and the other does not.

"It was done at a time when the races were boring, but maybe now we could say that we overshot the target," he added. (GMM.)

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