Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has played down expectations that the team’s second car penned by Adrian Newey could be in the running for race wins in 2008.

“Not under normal racing conditions,” the Austrian billionaire cautioned at Jerez on Wednesday, as David Coulthard put the first 54 laps on the newly launched RB4 single seater.

Mateschitz, however, told the news agency APA that he has an “excellent feeling” about this season, because the RB4’s evolutionary predecessor was beginning to be regularly competitive towards the end of 2007.

“I believe that our drivers will have several possibilities to go on to the podium,” he said of his team’s prospects for 2008.

“But for victories, we will probably have to wait until 2009,” Mateschitz added, explaining that the real goal for this year is to close the gap to BMW, currently F1’s third force after Ferrari and McLaren.

He also denied that his patience with the F1 project is running out, despite failing to taste success in Red Bull’s opening three campaigns.

“I have never had illusions about how thin the air is at the height of formula one,” Mateschitz insisted.

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