Red Bull would dominate F1 with Mercedes engine, believes Verstappen

Red Bull's Max Verstappen feels that his team would be in a totally dominant position in F1 if they had the power of the Mercedes engine, and reckons that is the only part of the car that needs to improve for the 2018 season.

Renault have been less prominent in recent seasons despite their success at the turn of the decade, where they paired with Red Bull to devastating effect, clinching four world titles.

More recently Mercedes has came to the fore, and Verstappen is in no doubt that is the engine to beat, adding that if he had access to that power in the Red Bull chassis, they would be difficult to compete with.

Speaking to Autosport, the Dutchman said: "I think that if we had a Mercedes engine in the back, they would never see us again.

"I had less horsepower than the other manufacturers, apart from Honda. Ours [MGU-H] just isn't that stable compared to what Mercedes and Ferrari have.

"But it has to do with several things. Otherwise they would have solved it a long time ago, of course."

The 20-year-old also reserved praise for the adaptability of his team to amend problems and ensure that the car remains competitive - but hopes that any issues can be resolved early so that crucial races aren't lost.

He added: "They thought about going for a low drag configuration, but for some reason it just didn't work out," said Verstappen of Red Bull's poor start to last year.

"Maybe it was a bit too optimistic, but you've seen that the team can turn things around very quickly.

"Of course, by then your season is already lost, but it does give you confidence for the future that it can go in the right direction."