23/02/2019
NEWS STORY
With so many of the variables unknown, no matter how many things the media might tell you we learned from testing the fact is that we won't really know the pecking order until the afternoon of Saturday 16 March.
In the meantime, we have to rely on mileage and lap times while second guessing fuel loads and the like.
Like many, Daniel Ricciardo is impressed by Ferrari, but while intrigued by the Italian outfit's performance admits that Charles Leclerc could have a point when he talk about rival teams sandbagging.
"I am very curious to know what Ferrari and Mercedes and those guys are doing," The Australian told reporters.
"If I had to put money on it, Ferrari have been the most consistent all test," he added, "but even after next week we are not going to know until Melbourne."
Asked about his own car, the Australian said: "It is hard to ask too much in terms of testing as it never runs perfect, or I have never been in a perfect car in pre-season.
"The first couple of days were slow just getting laps in," he continued, the Australian having lost valuable time on Tuesday following his DRS failure.
"On Wednesday I got more in," he added. "I didn't get in as much on Thursday but it was more the runs we were doing, shorter with more set up changes, so that took more time.
"It was quite useful for me, just going through set-ups," he admitted, "feeling that they actually did something to the car, that was quite positive.
"When a car is numb and does not respond to changes, that normally is not a good sign. So after these four days it feels pretty positive."