MOTORSPORT: We can't catch Mercedes – Renault

The Renault-powered Red Bull Racing (RBR) team dominated Formula One for the past four years, but so far this year has struggled to match the pace of Mercedes-Benz, which has won six out of seven races in 2014.

The RBR F1 team is widely acknowledged to have one of the best chassis' in the paddock thanks to aerodynamics wizard Adrian Newey, but the Renault-powered cars lack the linear power delivery of Mercedes, which Renault now admits it won't catch this year.

"In terms of pure performance, honestly I don't think [we can catch Mercedes in 2014]," said Renault Sport F1 2014 Power Unit Project Leader, Stephane Rodriguez.

The man in charge of developing the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol electrically boosted 600kW V6 Renault engine that powers the RBR F1 cars, stated that improvements to the Renault engine are ongoing, however.

"We will come close to them [Mercedes], like we did at Canada if a problem occurs, and it will be less comfortable for them. But I'm not expecting to be at the same level as them this year," conceded Rodriguez.

RBR and Renault saw their first 2014 victory in Canada, as did Aussie driver Daniel Ricciardo, but it was largely due to mechanical problems suffered by Mercedes.

"They've done a better job than us," said Rodriguez of the Mercedes team.

Asked if RBR and by extension Renault as an engine supplier would win more races, Rodriguez was upbeat.

"We're hoping to. We think we can be very close."

While RBR and Renault's domination appears to be at an end, 2015 will be different story, insists Rodriguez.

The Renault Sport F1 team has been working on the 2015 engine since the start of the year and expects it to close the gap on Mercedes, and possibly overtake it.

"It's not a completely new engine but we're trying to stabilise things and also to get more performance where we know we've got weakness.

"We have to have more power next year … What will change next year probably will be the shape of the power curve, which will allow better use of the engine energy and significantly improved lap times."

Renault executives also scotched rumours that Red Bull Racing's unhappiness with the underperforming Renault V6 turbo would see it ditch the French engine supplier in 2015.

"No. You hear plenty of things of course. If you want to break a contract you can always break a contract, but you pay for it. But it's not on the plan," said a Renault Sport F1 spokesperson, who noted that the French brand has a three-year deal with RBR.