Vettel warns Red Bull to improve car or face 'debacle' in Australian GP

Four-time Formula One champion and Red Bull racer Sebastian Vettel has warned his team that they might be facing a debacle unless they improve their car before the season opens at the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks.

The German, who is bidding for a fifth consecutive world title when the season kicks off in Melbourne on March 16, endured a frustrating four-days of testing the new Red Bull car in Bahrain , which concluded on Sunday.

According to News.com.au, Vettel said that just getting to the finish in Australia would be a success for them, adding that if half the drivers fail to finish, then Red Bull might take a few points.

Vettel's mentor and Red Bull's adviser Helmut Marko echoed his protégé’s concerns, saying that they have not yet reached where they want to be as the start of the season has come at least two months too early for them, adding that they do not yet know whether they would be able to catch up with the other teams ahead of the Australian GP.

Vettel failed to complete a single lap in testing on Saturday due to electrical issues and problems with the car's Renault engine, the report added. 

Image: Sebastian Vettel

Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty Images