PA - His Red Bull hasn't been involved in a high-speed wreck but Daniel Ricciardo is resigned to 2015 being a write-off for his team.
His Renault-powered machine is struggling for pace and without the team having made significant advancements the usually affable Aussie is looking to the future.
"Most other teams, if not even all of them, have made a step forward - as far as the chassis is concerned, and with the power units as well. We have not found a lot on either side. It is sort of a standstill," Ricciardo said.
"We are not in the title race. Even making the podium would be very difficult with what we have at the moment.
"That's why we must invest as much know-how and work as hard as possible into making next year's car a winning car."
Setting up for the Austrian Grand Prix, where Ricciardo finished fifth last season, frustrated team boss Christian Horner expects to see his team right at the back of the grid due to a likely fifth engine change of the season which brings with it a ten-place grid penalty.
"We have to prepare ourselves for starting from the last row," team principal Christian Horner said.
Championship-leading Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton returned to the top of the podium in Montreal after teammate Nico Rosberg won the previous two races, and commands the standings with 151 points from his teammate (134) and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel (108).
"It was a great feeling to finally get back on top in Canada ... Now, though, it's time to move on and put things right at a circuit I had a tough introduction to last year," Hamilton said.
The Austria race was back on the calendar for the first time in 11 years in 2014, with Rosberg winning on the 4.326-kilometres course and Hamilton fighting to second from ninth on the grid.
The main competition should come from Williams, who got their first podium from Valtteri Bottas in third place in Montreal, and from Ferrari as Vettel impressively climbed from 18th on the grid to fifth in Canada.
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