Felt good in a Red Bull car: Vettel

German world champion Sebastian Vettel threw down the gauntlet to his rivals on the first day of Formula One testing yesterday driving a Red Bull, when he clocked the fastest time.

The 23-year-old clocked a best time of 1minute 13.769seconds in the 93 laps that he covered and professed himself to be delighted with the session.

"It is generally better to be at the top of the list than on the other side," said Vettel, who became the youngest ever world champion when he clinched the title in the final race of last season in Abu Dhabi.

"It is something that Red Bull has never succeeded in doing in the last two to three years. It is a really good sign. And what's more, I felt really good in the car. I really enjoyed myself. It is a really good start," he added.