The Milton Keynes-based outfit has been in a class of its own this season, winning all but one grand prix so far en route to a drivers’ and constructors’ championship double.
While rivals have pushed the team hard at various times throughout this season, the fact that nobody has made a breakthrough to beat it consistently points to the team's advantage staying intact for a while.
And following a Brazilian Grand Prix where Max Verstappen was once again superior, as competitors Ferrari and Mercedes endured a particularly tricky time, seven-time champion Hamilton offered a downbeat assessment of his prospects in the future.
Asked about the possibility of Mercedes making the leap needed to challenge Red Bull soon, Hamilton said: “I think, ultimately, all I can do is try to remain optimistic.
“The Red Bull I think is so far away. I think they're probably going to be very clear for the next couple of years.”
But Red Bull boss Christian Horner does not see things as straightforward as that and reckons that his team is into diminishing returns with its car concept that will allow others to close it down.
Speaking about what feedback he was getting from wind tunnel figures about the team’s 2024 challenger, Horner said: “It's always difficult to read too much into those things. I think that it's a lot of world championships that are won in the wind tunnel numbers at this time of year.
Source: Autosport