Listen to this article Verstappen closed out pre-season testing with the fastest time for Red Bull on Saturday in Bahrain, finishing almost seven-tenths of a second clear of the field. George Russell ended the day one second off Verstappen’s fastest time amid concerns from Mercedes it is not in the mix at the very front of the pack. Russell said Mercedes was “a step behind our rivals” as “the performance isn’t there”. Verstappen’s 2021 title rival, Lewis Hamilton, claimed on Saturday that Mercedes was currently out of the fight, saying: “At the moment, I don’t think we’ll be competing for wins.” Mercedes has just one week to turn things around before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, but its scepticism has been talked down by a number of drivers, including Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who said the team’s comments were “typical”. Verstappen also had his doubts that Mercedes was truly on the back foot, agreeing with Sainz that it was “always like this”. “If someone is doing well or a team th …