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Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz believes Mercedes is set to dominate Formula 1 again this season based on indications from the first winter test at Jerez.

Although Ferrari drivers set the fastest laptimes during the opening days of 2015 F1 running, Mercedes comfortably topped the mileage chart.

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Mateschitz spent a day at the Jerez test and had meetings with his drivers and the chiefs of the Red Bull and Toro Rosso teams.

"Mercedes are still in front and it looks like there will be no change to their dominance," he said.

Red Bull's Jerez week was compromised by problems with what Renault described as a "stupid part" in its engine limiting mileage.

Prior to the team's 2015 launch, Red Bull's outgoing design chief Adrian Newey predicted that the best the team could hope for this year would be to close on Mercedes as toppling it would be impossible given the horsepower gap.

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Mateschitz agreed that the onus was on Renault to give Red Bull some hope.

"If Renault can reduce the gap [to Mercedes] to 40 or 50bhp then we should be in a good position to charge, provided we have a good car again. But I do not doubt this," he said.

"To reduce the gap would be a success already."

Toro Rosso managed a smoother test than Red Bull, and began the week with team boss Franz Tost predicting that his all-rookie squad of Carlos Sainz Jr and Max Verstappen could take the team to fifth in the constructors' championship.

Mateschitz said he had similar faith in Toro Rosso and its drivers.

"We have two excellent young drivers there. The aim has not changed, Toro Rosso is a learning school for young talents," he said.

"I share the opinion of Franz that Toro Rosso should be able to contest for fifth in the constructors' rankings."