Daniil Kvyat believes Red Bull’s strong overall performance in the Mexican Grand Prix shows that his squad has the potential to become F1 world champions again, provided it can find more top-end speed.
The Russian narrowly missed out on his second career podium after Mercedes-powered Valtteri Bottas overhauled his Renault-engined RB11 at the restart that followed a late Safety Car period.
Kvyat eventually led home team-mate Daniel Ricciardo to a 4-5 finish, thus capping an encouraging weekend at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Located in high altitude and featuring one of the longest straights on the F1 calendar, the revised venue had Red Bull and power unit partner Renault braced for a challenging outing.
“The whole race was very solid, I am very happy with how all 71 laps went, it was a very pushing race,” said Kvyat. “We can be champions if we get back on the path. I believe in this team and I believe in us and our ambition.
“We have been very strong this weekend at this track; it suited us quite well in the second and third sectors, but we just need to get the straight line speed.”
Coming back to the moment when he lost out to Bottas for P3, Kvyat claims he was just a sitting duck and powerless to defend from the charging Finn.
“I am a bit disappointed, it is shame, it seemed like we had it under control but then under the Safety Car restart I thought it was going to be not easy on the home straight and in fact it was very bad.
“It’s obviously a shame about not getting on the podium I thought we had it but it is racing and you have to accept it. There was nothing I could do in the straight line speed.”
Red Bull currently does not have an engine deal for 2016, though team principal Christian Horner revealed that Honda is “very keen” to supply the Milton Keynes-based outfit next year.
But with McLaren’s Jenson Button reporting a 45kph deficit on his Honda-powered MP4-30 during the Mexican Grand Prix, such a deal looks unlikely to cure Red Bull’s top-end speed woes in the short term.
REPORT: Rosberg holds off Hamilton in Mexican GP as Vettel crashes
AS IT HAPPENED: Mexican Grand Prix
Click here for the F1 drivers' girlfriends gallery
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
From Kimi Antonelli’s commanding victory and George Russell’s opening-lap heartbreak to Charles Leclerc’s relentless pursuit…
Lewis Hamilton insists there was nothing malicious behind his opening-lap collision with George Russell at…
Max Verstappen says he was left astonished by the closing speed of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari…
Mercedes concluded its Belgian Grand Prix weekend with an inevitable mix of celebration and frustration.…
Charles Leclerc missed out on a second consecutive Formula 1 victory, but the Ferrari driver…
George Russell walked away from the Belgian Grand Prix with a familiar feeling of frustration…