Vettel: Mercedes are the favourites

Speaking to reporters in Barcelona, Vettel said, “I want to make sure that I can bring that championship back to Maranello. That is our big ambition and that is our target."

With disrupted running during the four days of testing in freezing conditions, a pecking order of any kind would be pure speculation.

Nevertheless, Vettel fired his first salvo when he declared “Mercedes are the favourites, but if we can be close, very close, and closer than last year, that will be great."

“It is a long year. It is only March now, but we will keep going until the end of November when the season ends.”

The four times world champion reflected on the past four days at Circuit de Catalunya, “It has been a difficult week with cool conditions but it affects everyone.

“It is tricky when everybody is so excited because you have a new car but you are unable to tick all the boxes and find the answers to all the questions you have."

“Anything is possible this year, but I don’t know the answers yet. So far, things have looked OK but there has been limited running for everyone so it is difficult to judge and compare to the others,” added Vettel.

Testing returns to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona for another four days starting on 6 March, ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on the weekend 23-25 March.