(MENAFN- Kora) Vettel and his Red Bull team-mate, Australian Daniel Ricciardo, managed a maximum of 20 consecutive laps during testing at Jerez and Bahrain, which has left the Austrian-owned, British-based team well behind ahead of the F1 season opener on March 16
The right-hand man of Red Bull's owner Dietrich Mateschitz - Dr Helmut Marko - conceded on the Sport und Talk show on the Servus TV network that the team are 'two months' behind, while Vettel said the reigning champions are almost certain to miss out on points in Melbourne
"First of all, just getting to the finish would be a success," Vettel said
"If half the drivers fail to finish, then maybe we could take a few points.
Marko added that a serious 'turbo lag' problem has left Red Bull and their engine supplier Renault with plenty of work to do
"We are struggling with turbo lag," the former racing driver and advisor to Red Bull said
"You step on the gas but the power does not arrive. It comes all of a sudden, the wheels spin, the car slides and you lose speed
"We are working with Renault on the test benches day and night to improve the situation for Melbourne.
But no matter what Red Bull does, it seems unlikely they will be 100 per cent ready to compete in Australia
"The opening race comes at least two months too early for us," Marko said
"This is a very serious matter. At the moment we do not know in what time frame it will be possible to catch up, or if it is possible at all.
Red Bull have won the past four F1 constructors' championships, as Vettel has risen to the top of the drivers' pile
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