Hard to believe that this time a year ago - this time four months ago - Red Bull was warning that it would walk away from the sport.

Publicly denigrating its engine partner, the Austrian team's threat to leave the sport, even to the point of reneging on the contract that binds it to F1 until 2020, had the powers-that-be running round like headless chickens trying to find it a new partner, even if it meant bringing a new manufacturer into the sport.

Now, having signed a new deal with said engine partner, Renault, and having closed to within six points of Ferrari, Red Bull is full of confidence and team boss Christian Horner is not only confident the Italian outfit can be overhauled, he is seeking to close the gap to Mercedes.

Asked where his team is lacking compared to Ferrari, Horner was quick to respond.

"Nowhere," he replied, "I think that we have a very strong car, strong drivers and the engine is improving. I don't think there is anything we need to fear.

"We outscored them by 15 points at Silverstone, he continued, though Nico Rosberg's penalty made it 18, "and we outscored them by 13 points in Austria.

"Most of the more powerful circuits, like Montreal, Baku and Austria, are out of the way," he added, "and the circuits coming up hopefully play to some of our strengths.

"It's going to be a tight battle with them for the rest of the year, though I am sure they have development to come and two great drivers."

However, like its rivals, Horner admits that as the 2016 battle intensifies, the team is also having to look ahead to next year.

"We are juggling a lot of plates," he admitted. "We have the current car, we have an interim car that we are supporting the tyre testing with, and we have next year's car. But the resources are properly allocated to all the different challenges."