Honda aiming for pacesetters Mercedes and Ferrari

Honda's foray into the hybrid-turbocharged power-unit era has been a laborious endeavor, but the Japanese manufacturer still has its sights on bridging the gap with pacesetters Mercedes and Ferrari.

Honda's return to F1 was an unmitigated disaster in 2015 but since, progress has been steady and solid but Honda boss Yusuke Hasegawa knows what must still be accomplished.

"From the point of view of the power unit, our goal is to reach the numbers of Mercedes and Ferrari," the Honda chief told Spanish sports daily AS.

"But it is difficult to know how much they will gain as well," he acknowledged

• Honda boosts prospects with engine overhaul

Honda is now rumored to approach the 1000 horsepower mark in 2017, although specific figures remain under wrap.

On a relative basis, it also remains to be seen how much more power Mercedes and Ferrari may have extracted from their engines over the winter.

"We do not have a specific objective and we do not reveal numbers or power and the like. Catching up with the rest of the manufacturers is the goal, but we still do not know how much Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault have improved."

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter