Honda F1 boss Yusuke Hasegawa believes the Japanese manufacturer are getting “very close” to matching Renault in terms of engine power.

Honda have always been cut adrift from the rest of the engine suppliers but, after introducing their ‘3.5 spec’ engine at Spa, Hasegawa is encouraged that they are now heading in the right direction.

“From the beginning of the season, we have been improving the power unit – not only in terms of performance but also reliability,” Hasegawa told Autosport.

“Since we introduced spec 3.5 engine, I think that level of performance is very close to the Renault. I cannot say it’s better than Renault but the important thing is the reliability is much better.