Red Bull has played down the significance of Ferrari's pace so far in testing with no team yet pushing to the maximum.

Unofficially, the Scuderia ended the first week of running ahead with their best time four-tenths clear of the actual fastest lap set if tyre-corrected.

Red Bull, however, was only seven-tenths behind and team boss Christian Horner pointed out how Ferrari always push a little harder than most in pre-season.

"If there was a winter world championship, Ferrari would win it every year," he told Spain's Marca. "But you get no points in the winter.

"Clearly they have arrived here with a strong car, but these are not even close to the temperatures we will race at."

The Briton also thinks this year's rule changes and differing priorities for teams throughout the grid is scrambling the picture.

"The winter test times are somewhat confusing right now," Horner claimed. "I don't think they give us a good idea of what the first race will be like, although I could be wrong, the tests can be deceptive."

Finally, the Red Bull chief was also keen to talk up his own team's prospects thanks to the new engine partnership with Honda.

"What is certain is that we now have more power than we had last year," he said. "What we don't know is what Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault have done over the winter.

"We will only have a real vision of the situation after the first three or four races. We're touching wood because for the moment the signs are good."

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Horner's outlook is decidedly different, however, from Mercedes who have already admitted to handling issues with the W10.

"Ferrari seems to be ahead of us at the moment, that's a fact," driver Valtteri Bottas admitted to Sky Italia.

Although teammate Lewis Hamilton continues to remain optimistic.

"Tests are tests," the world champion said. "At this moment it is completely irrelevant how fast we are. What matters is how fast we are in Q3 in Australia."

Motorsport boss Toto Wolff also ruled nothing out, adding: "We can see that Ferrari has done a good job, but other years have looked like that as well."