Renault insists it is not giving up on the 2015 season.
After Australia, the French manufacturer clashed spectacularly with works partner Red Bull, indicating the pair are on the road to divorce.
Remi Taffin, Renault’s F1 operations director, said he can understand Red Bull’s frustration.
"It was a setback for Red Bull. They’re not used to having their cars so far back," he told the French broadcaster Canal Plus.
"But we have had only the second race. In neither race has Red Bull been able to show what is really possible, and in Australia the blame was partly ours.
"At Sepang it was better from our side, and we got a taste of what to expect from Red Bull-Renault," added Taffin.
"As for us, the season actually began in Malaysia. By China, Red Bull will have solved its problems, and then the fun begins.
"Of course I am not saying that we will win the race, but we have a lot of potential for development, both on the engine and the chassis side.
"We did not become four times world champion in a row by chance. Red Bull is good at developing a car, and it will pay off sooner or later," he added.