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Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that he is unlikely to grab podiums in 2019.
The Australian surprised the Formula 1 paddock with his decision to switch from Red Bull to Renault.
Renault on the backfoot
An alarming twist for Ricciardo is that Honda, Red Bull's next engine supplier, is apparently speeding ahead of Renault in the horse power stakes.
READ: Hulkenberg doubts Renault can catch top teams
Renault, on the other hand, is struggling.
"At the beginning of the season, we were clearly fourth best. But that has changed.
"We have developed, but others have made more progress, not just on the engine side but the chassis side. We have not lived up to our status as a factory team," said Nico Hulkenberg, Ricciardo's 2019 teammate, in Japan.
'We will see how much power we have'
Ricciardo is also monitoring Honda's progress relative to the current Renault struggle.
"We'll see. Power is one thing, but there's also reliability and I think that's why Renault haven't used the updated version yet.
"We will see how much power Red Bull have with Honda next year. I don't wish problems on them, but I certainly hope that Renault are better," he said in Japan.
However, he said he knows it could be at least a year before the podium is in sight.
"I'm a realist and I understand that the chance of podiums is small," said Ricciardo.
At the same time, Red Bull is now starting to turn its back on Ricciardo, for instance by ending his access to the simulator.
"If I do badly at all the remaining five tracks, I will definitely blame the simulator," he laughed.