Carlos Sainz admits Toro Rosso could struggle during the second half of the season as a result of running a 2015 Formula One engine that is no longer being developed.
Toro Rosso switched from Renault to Ferrari engines ahead of this season, but the lateness of the deal meant the team had to use a 2015-spec power unit in order to avoid having to build a brand new chassis at the last minute to accommodate a 2016 engine.
As a result, the Faenza-based outfit has slowly been dropping down the pecking order as rival teams have continued to develop their own engines. Sainz says he is under no illusions of how much of a challenge the rest of 2016 could prove to be.
"Unfortunately now every race will be tricky," he said. "Budapest should have been our strongest track and we were definitely struggling to be ahead of the midfield. It will be a tough season for us now.
"It's no secret that we've been falling back since Australia when we were P5 or P7 in quali, to now that we really struggle to make it to Q3. It's no secret the steps that Force India and McLaren have made are making it more difficult to go through.
"I think we know more or less where we are going to spend the rest of the season, obviously we are keeping a close eye on what McLaren and Force India are doing, but our position should always be between the fourth and seventh teams, depending on the track."
Despite a disappointing German Grand Prix in which Sainz and teammate Daniil Kvyat struggled for pace, the Spaniard is happy with the job Toro Rosso has done considering the engine disadvantage.
"We are compensating with good strategies and good pit stops, good race performances, we more or less compensate the lack of development. I think that I've become a much stronger driver together with the team, we are addressing some issues even if we don't have as good a car as Melbourne."