Boullier Admits Red Bull Still Miles Ahead

The McLaren team are looking for a return to the top of the Formula One constructor's championship with their new engine partnership but boss Boullier admits Red Bull have done a better job.

Both Red Bull and McLaren are running with a Renault engine so the chassis is what can make a difference between the two teams.

Eric said: “Fighting with Red Bull - that was last year and based on data…

“Then over the winter, you don’t know what the others are doing. Obviously, Red Bull have I say the one of the best chassis. They did a better job than us.”

With the ditching of Honda only coming last year, the team as a whole haven’t had as much time as they would have liked with the 2018 McLaren.

“That is one of the reasons why we are not where we would have been in an ideal world.

“We pushed the limits a bit too far. We underestimated the integration of the Renault and the energy we had to spend on this so we were definitely not prepared enough when we turned up in Barcelona.

“We pushed too late. We decided to keep the same strategy but we changed the engine.”

Ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, McLaren are set to bring in updates and also a resigned nose is expected to make its debut in Spain.

“I seriously believe that gives us a few races and we will show you we are the fourth team. It’s just we had to delay the introduction of many upgrades and that’s the issue we have today and that’s it.

“If we’re 0.9 seconds off Red Bull, that wouldn’t look good, I agree.

“We don’t want to hide. It’s show time. I would say the same. We have the same engine, we should fight with them. If we don’t, it not good enough.”

In recent seasons Red Bull has grown stronger as the season progresses making McLaren’s target ambitious.

“You have to set targets in life. That’s it. I’m a competitor. If not, I should not be here. We are living in a realistic world and money in F1 is one of the conditions to be performing.

“We are where we are and we have to d the best we can with this level - if not better.

"It is a question of putting everything together and not being anymore delayed.

“So trying to bring everything back on schedule. But I think we will punch above our weight. Seriously.”