Carlos Sainz Jr remains unfazed by former team mate Max Verstappen's promotion from junior to senior bull, believing his chance will come to race with Red Bull's leading sqaud.
Toro Rosso's Sainz admitted he was envious of the opportunity offered to Verstappen following Red Bull's permutation between the Dutchman and Daniil Kvyat just four races in to the 2016 season.
But the Spanish driver how vowed to keep his head down and patiently bide his time while performing to the best of his ability with Toro Rosso to remain on Red Bull's short list.
"Frankly, when I heard that they were moving Max up, I'm not going to lie, I would have liked it to be me," Sainz is quoted by Motorsport.com as telling Spanish media on Wednesday in Barcelona.
"You obviously want it to be yourself who moves to Red Bull, but then when you think about it quietly and I see it more and more in a positive way.
"In the end, in Red Bull's plan or in my own plan, Red Bull was never a target for 2016, so it's not like anyone has failed. My goal is still to be with Red Bull in 2017 or 2018."
Sainz has acquitted himself well since graduating to Formula 1 in 2015, and has proven to be just as fast as Verstappen in qualifying, his mercurial former team mate often gaining the upper hand on race day however.
"In the end they analyse the results better than anyone and they know what I'm capable of.
"They have been comparing me with Max for one-and-a-half years and they know what I can do, so if he got the chance it means that if I turn the speed that I've shown so far into results, the opportunity can come at any moment.
"I know that if I do well, I'll have my chance too."
For all his ambition and confidence to succeed in F1, Sainz will still have to contend, starting this weekend, with Daniil Kvyat, who will no doubt be ultra-determined to prove his worth after having his wings partly clipped by Red Bull.
"I've known him since we were 12 or 13," said Sainz.
"We have been fighting on track since we were very young. I don't think I need to tell you he is a very good driver.
"He's moving down from Red Bull, but it doesn't mean he has lost talent or anything like that. He's still as strong or better than when I met him in GP3.
"You can't forget he outscored [Daniel] Ricciardo last year, that he has one more year of experience than me, that he knows the team, and all that is going to mean he's going to be a very tough rival.
"I'm sure we'll be a good line-up and we'll help Toro Rosso finish fifth in the constructors' championship."
Chris Medland's 2016 Spanish Grand Prix preview
Technical focus: Halo or Aeroscreen?
Silbermann says... Too many angry Bulls in Spain
