Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul believes five midfield teams and Red Bull could be locked together to start the new season.
The consensus from pre-season testing suggests the gap from the front of the grid to the back is much closer this year, particularly when Williams catch up from their problematic start.
In fact, the only prediction most are willing to agree on is that Ferrari is currently fastest, behind them though, anything could happen.
"We were third in the testing kilometres and nothing is fundamentally wrong with the car," Abiteboul stated to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
"We are closer to the top than before. In our estimation, there is practically nothing between us, Toro Rosso, Haas, Alfa Romeo and McLaren and Red Bull is still a mystery to us."
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The Renault chief believes a closing up in the engine performance stakes is the cause, with the gap covering Mercedes, Ferrari, the French manufacturer and Honda shrinking consistently.
In aero though, the situation is different with two variants on the new-look front wings for 2019 unveiled.
"At the moment you have to decide if you want to go right or left, everyone will have the same in 2020," Abiteboul believes.
"We are looking closely at the Ferrari concept, and some solutions are in CFD process, others in the wind tunnel. We have to find out if it's better to be conservative or extreme."
Looking further forward, Renault is also starting work on 2021 even though no official regulations have yet been formally agreed.
"This year we must show that we are there, in 2020 we must be on the podium regularly and in 2021 we want to go for the title, that is our plan," head of partnerships Antoine Magnan declared.
