Daniel Ricciardo believes that Red Bull still needs to prove itself, before he could start considering himself as a title contender.
Monaco Grand Prix victory moved Ricciardo up to third position on championship chart, but he is not confident about his chances for 2018 championship title.
The Australian driver is lagging 38 and 24 points behind Mercedes and Ferrari drivers, Hamilton and Vettel, in world championship.
Ricciardo said: “It’s a natural question after a victory. Lewis still has a pretty good cushion. It’s not impossible but it’s not at the forefront of my mind.”
He added that Red Bull needs more to fight for title.
“We have three victories each, and I wouldn’t have expected that back in February,” he said. “That’s pretty cool and I will try to keep it going for now.
“I will try to get a few more podiums but we have to prove on at least one other circuit before the summer break that we can win again before we can say that.”
Red Bull struggle for Power
This season, Red Bull had been struggling for power, which is evident from Monaco Grand Prix. While the team performance is being capped by its engines, where the main contenders have been able to push their power plants for more power.
Mercedes and Ferrari have complex MGU-H system that enables them to extract more power, which Red Bull’s supplier, Renault, struggles for.
Renault has been exploring avenues to reduce the power deficit. The supplier has planned to introduced at least 20bhp in Canada for its customers.
If the French manufacturer could hold-up to what it plans to deliver, Red Bull could be in fight for the title. However, the manufacturer has failed to deliver what it had claimed in past.
Renault’s claims can only be verified on the ground during the next race at Canada.
Red Bull is skeptical of the manufacturer claims and it has to decide for future supplier. The team might switch from Renault to Honda which is being evaluated through Toro Rosso.
Red Bull will be deciding after the Canadian Grand Prix, whether to stick with Renault or switch to Honda.
