RUMOUR: Honda and Mercedes power units only 30hp apart?

BBC F1 reporter Andrew Benson has reported for F1 Racing that Honda's power unit is now 'just' 30 horsepower behind the Mercedes one, which could bode well for Red Bull in 2019.

Honda publicly announced at the start of the year that their main priority above all would be reliability. Now that the Japanese engine manufacturer has logged half a season with Toro Rosso, the focus seems to have shifted to performance. 

Pierre Gasly has underlined the improvement in performance as the Frenchman finished in sixth in Hungary after qualifying there as well.

"The Honda engine might not be a match for Mercedes yet, but insiders say that the difference is just 30 horsepower now," Benson reported.

"There is a lot of room for improvement as well [for Honda]."

Benson thinks that this could be a good sign for Red Bull next season.

"If Honda can get this gap to twenty horsepower, you'll only lose three-tenths of a second on most tracks.

"Can Red Bull make up for this with their chassis? It won't be easy but they have a secret ingredient.

That ingredient has a name, and it's Adrien Newey. The designer is capable of building the best chassis on the grid.

"The quality of the RB14 are clearly visible," Benson added.

"With some more power and a new Newey-chassis next year, it won't be unthinkable that Red Bull could be fighting for the title next season."

If that's true, it would make the Daniel Ricciardo-switch to Renault a very painful one, as the Aussie stated that if he left Red Bull, it would be for a team with better odds of fighting for a championship. Ouch.