Red Bull believe it will be in a position to compete with and even beat Mercedes next season, even if they still lack outright power compared to the Mercedes power unit.
With major regulation changes coming for 2017, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Mark believes the team's superior chassis can compensate for the small power deficit the Renault unit is likely to have, as aerodynamics – an area Red Bull excel in – will play a greater role.
When asked when Red Bull will be in a position to challenge Mercedes' dominance, he replied: "We think that we are ready next year.
"We’ve always done well when there is a regulation change that doesn’t only focus on the engine," he told the official Formula 1 website. "And the work on our engine is developing in the right direction, so in 2017 we should be within around 15 horsepower [of Mercedes] – and this we can compensate for [with better aero].
"Our aim is to challenge Mercedes next season," he added, confirming the RB13 is on course to deliver what is expected of it: "We are on schedule. The numbers that the engineers are finding look very good – of course the track will give the final answer. But as our clear objective is to beat Mercedes, next year the numbers better be good!"
