Mercedes: Red Bull are ten millimetres lower than everyone else

The Formula 1 World Championship is set to kick off this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Red Bull Racing heads into the new season as the favourites.

During pre-season testing in Bahrain, the team was the talk of the paddock as it put in an impressive showing that left rivals in no doubt of the Red Bull's potential.

At the heart of the car's success is its unique ability to run closer to the ground than any other car on the grid.

Auto Motor und Sport has reported that Red Bull can run its car  lower lower than everyone else.

"They are ten millimetres lower than everyone else. If we drove that low, the underbody would break,” an unnamed Mercedes source told the German publication.                        

The car generates more downforce, while creating less drag, ultimately resulting in greater speed and improved tyre management.

The benefits of the RB19's design were most visible during testing, where Red Bull topped the timesheets and set a benchmark for the rest of the field.

According to AMuS's analysis, Red Bull are between two and four tenths of a second faster than Ferrari, and a whopping six tenths faster than Mercedes over one lap.

In terms of longer runs, Red Bull's advantage over Ferrari is even greater, as the Scuderia continues to grapple with tyre wear issues.

Mercedes, the team that has dominated F1 in recent years, has taken note of Red Bull's impressive pace.

Team boss Toto Wolff stated: "They brake later, accelerate much earlier and gain an incredible amount of time with better traction. If we approach the corners like this, we don't even get to the apex."

Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, has also expressed concerns about Mercedes' deficit to Red Bull.

Hamilton admitted, "We realize that we have a mountain to climb and no one has fussed. We're not quite where we want to be but it's a good platform to start from."