Double Formula 1 champion Mika Hakkinen in unsure about Honda's ability to push Red Bull to the front of the grid.
So far, the new partnership has gone well from a reliability perspective with very few issues in pre-season, yet performance remains an unknown, with the first answer coming this weekend in Melbourne.
And while the former McLaren driver accepts Honda has made progress, it is taking the next step that he feels will be the most difficult.
“First, I was thinking it’s not going to work out, it’s not going to go so well. I had a big doubt there," Hakkinen said in his Unibet column. “But they do have full factory support from Honda and that brings a lot of confidence to get the success.
"I think now they are in a position that they can start bringing in the performance, but I really don’t think they’re still in a level on the performance with Ferrari or Mercedes in power terms.
“If you don’t have that, if you have less horsepower in a straight line, it’s difficult to overtake other cars. That’s a fact," he continued. "I still don’t believe they are on a level [on] power.”
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An argument Red Bull has made is the Japanese manufacturer has more resources and greater room to improve than former engine supplier Renault did.
However, Hakkinen believes the team may ultimately be left red-faced.
“Looking at the Renault, they are going for it," he claimed. “Looking at the test results and what they have done, the engine performance, what they are delivering, I think they are really strong.
“Red Bull, did they make the right decision? They left Renault behind but now they’re going for it.
“What is right, what is wrong? It’s really interesting,” he concluded.
