Red Bull technical advisor Helmut Marko has conceded that he thinks Lewis Hamilton holds an advantage in the title race despite Max Verstappen's lead in the championship.
Hamilton's sensational drive at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix saw the Mercedes ace cut Verstappen's lead to 14 points heading into the final three races of the season.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi are all seen as tracks where Mercedes' speed advantage could prove to be decisive in the title race against Red Bull.
That has led to concern for Marko, who has conceded that he feels Hamilton has the edge in the battle despite his disadvantage.
"There were not two rockets, but one. Only the Hamilton (car) has such an unbelievable surplus on the straights. Despite the lead, I see us at a disadvantage if Hamilton maintains this engine advantage," he told Auto Motor und Sport.
In a separate interview with Australian TV station ORF, Marko also spoke about the significant speed advantage of Mercedes:
"We haven't seen an engine like that from Mercedes in recent years, as far as I can remember. Unbelievable. And it's only Hamilton's power unit. All the others (Mercedes powered cars) are within the normal range.
"Mercedes have done a masterpiece to conjure up such a rocket at this crucial stage. Hamilton won it on the straights.
"Max was on average two to three tenths faster in the middle sector, risked everything, had to drive on the limit.
"Of course, that also had an influence on the tyres. But it was the only way to not get caught on the straights."