Toto Wolff has tipped Red Bull to eventually “join the club” with Mercedes and Ferrari at the front of the grid after its tricky start to the season.
Red Bull already finds itself nearly eighty points adrift of Mercedes in the constructors’ standings after falling behind the resurgent Ferrari.
However, the Milton Keynes outfit is expected to make significant strides at this week’s Spanish Grand Prix courtesy of a fresh upgrade package.
Wolff, then, believes it will not be long before Mercedes finds itself embroiled in a three-way duel at the head of the field.
“At the moment there are two top teams fighting for both championships and I expect Red Bull will also eventually join the club,” he said.
“The small margins we are seeing this season are demonstrated by the closeness at the top of the drivers’ championship and even more so by the one-point advantage we have [over Ferrari] in the constructors’.
“This inter-team battle is a totally different situation than what we have seen over the last three years. You simply need to adapt to the challenge and that’s what we are doing, playing the hunter as well as being the hunted.
“This fight will continue on to the end of the season and we will be prepared for that battle.”
The Red Bull drivers themselves were reluctant to make any predictions, but are hopeful of ruffling the feathers of the leading duo.
“I hope the upgrade will give us a chance to really fight with Mercedes and Ferrari or at least get us closer,” Daniel Ricciardo said.
“We have to wait and see what the updates will bring. I hope we can be a bit closer to the top teams or that we can at least follow them,” added team-mate Max Verstappen. “That would already be a good step forward.”
