Renault can't match Red Bull progress

Since returning to F1 as a team owner, Renault has drawn comparisons with Red Bull because the Milton Keynes-based team is the leading runner using the French manufacturer's engine.

So far this year Red Bull has scored 137 points compared to Renault's 18, and in recent races the former has turned around its fortunes with major upgrades after a disappointing start with F1's new rules package for this year.

"Red Bull are one of the top teams - their rate of development has been quite impressive," said Hulkenberg.

"From the start of the season to now they made big steps forward.

"We did too, but obviously not at the same magnitude. We're not on that level yet.

"It's little things, they're not transforming the car or putting 20 points of downforce on.

"It is tough, it all needs to come together for us, we need to do a really good job, sometimes we need a bit of luck and help as well - people to drop out."

Hulkenberg is happy with the progress Renault is making though, and that includes what he's seeing for next year's car.

"The team is moving in the right direction. There's a lot of good stuff in the pipeline and coming in in a later point in the season," he said.

"All the signs are good and encouraging. It's just keep your head down and work hard.

"The '18 development has already been on the road for some time, so it's obviously quite advanced.

"There's some good signs there. The gap to the front is big, so we need a lot of performance.

"It's always relative, what you target, but we target that next year we obviously want to be well inside the top 10 all the time - not even top 10, probably top eight, permanently.

"So we have to make a big step to fulfil the expectations."

Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul said the team is still targeting climbing from eighth to sixth in the constructors' standings by the August summer break, before aiming for fifth place by the end of the season.