"Honda can close the gap with Mercedes and Ferrari in 2019"

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost believes that the team's engine supplier Honda can close the gap in performance between them and Mercedes and Ferrari in 2019, as the Japanese carmaker will power Red Bull as well next season.

Honda switched to Toro Rosso ahead of the 2018 season after their three-year relationship with McLaren had soured massively, with the Woking-based team often criticizing Honda publicly for their poor product.

Toro Rosso's power units improved as 2018 moved on, with sources saying Honda's engines were more powerful than Renault's by the end of the year. This trend will continue, Tost thinks.

"In terms of performance,  Honda has narrowed the gap from Mercedes and Ferrari," Tost told Speedweek.

"If serious problems do not emerge in the next stages of development, Honda will completely close the gap during the 2019 season."

With the chassis in the Red Bull car, which is often hailed as the best one on the grid, the Austrian team could seriously be challenging for wins on a consistent basis, should Honda be able to deliver a reliable, powerful engine.