Mercedes' progress of late hasn't been lost on Max Verstappen, who believes that tensions between Red Bull and the Brackley squad could flare up once again if the latter gets back in the mix.
Last year's intense rivalry between the two teams led to multiple flash points on the track between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton but also to a war of words between Red Bull chief Christian Horner and Mercedes team boss.
The bitter strife came to a head in Abu Dhabi where Hamilton was beaten to the world title by Verstappen on the very last lap of the controversial race at Yas Marina.
So far this season, Mercedes hasn't been able to fight for race wins, having struggled to extract performance from its new-generation car.
But successive podiums in the last four races indicate that the German outfit is on an uptrend, and one that could put it back in the mix for race wins on its merit.
Should that be the case, a new tug-of-war could emerge between Red Bull and Mercedes says Verstappen.
"Last year’s conflict was not necessarily between the drivers but more between the teams," the Dutchman told Servus TV.
"We are, of course, not fighting with Mercedes at the moment. I think it will be different if we fight each other again. Maybe at the end of the season. We’ll see."
While he's keeping an eye on Mercedes' progress, Verstappen doesn’t believe the Silver Arrow team represent an immediate threat for Red Bull or Ferrari.
"They are better than at the start of the year but they need just a little bit more," he said.
"They are not bad over a single lap, but in the race on Sunday [in Austria] you saw we got away from them quickly.
"I think it also has to do with the different circuits. At Silverstone, they were very fast in the race.
"It’s the same with us and Ferrari. It’s about the details that can make the difference in the end."
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