Comparing Daniel Ricciardo's Renault to Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes is not so much comparing apples with oranges as it is comparing strawberries and cream to a sultana.
Ricciardo has received the bottom end of what he expected while driving for Renault: a mid-field car that has not enabled him to reach a single podium, as opposed to hopes for an improving vehicle that might gradually start to challenge the big teams.
A more reliable gauge of Ricciardo's performance this season, therefore, is how he has fared against teammate Esteban Ocon.
He has dominated the ambitious Frenchman.
Ricciardo's looming departure for McLaren would be giving Renault nausea, as the team prepares to move forward with Ocon and Fernando Alonso; their iconic dual world champion, who is making a somewhat dubious F1 comeback at age 39.
Here are the raw numbers from this season, heavily lopsided in Ricciardo's favour.
QUALIFYING
Ricciardo 9-1 Ocon
Best result: Ricciardo 4th, Ocon 5th
Q3 appearances: Ricciardo 8-5 Ocon
RACES
Ricciardo 8-2 Ocon
Best result: Ricciardo 4th, Ocon 5th
Points finishes: Ricciardo 7-6 Ocon
Points: Ricciardo 63-36 Ocon
Ricciardo, 31, is driving his second season for Renault, and is a seven-time Grand Prix winner for Red Bull, while Ocon, 24, is coming off a season as Mercedes' reserve driver. The Australian was expected to remain No.1 after Ocon replaced Nico Hulkenburg, yet his dominance has been almost complete.
His next race comes this weekend, the 11th even of the 17-race F1 calendar: the Eifel Grand Prix at Germany's Nurburgring. The forecast is somewhat bleak.
"The weather report looks quite cold and wet, so it'll be very different to our last few races where it's been warm," Ricciardo said.
"It'll be interesting to see how the car behaves in these conditions.
"Overall, given the time of year it could be quite an unpredictable weekend so we could be in for a crazy race. Let's see what happens; I'll be ready regardless of the weather."
The only time that Ocon has out-qualified Ricciardo was in wet conditions at the Styrian Grand Prix, where he took fifth spot on the grid before a terse mid-race battle with the Aussie, so perhaps the Frenchman will fancy his chances this weekend. In races, he has beaten Ricciardo just once when both cars have finished.
Ricciardo has finished sixth or better in his last four races. It is a nice little upswing for Renault, who have given him little reason to stay; hence the impending McLaren switch.
Ricciardo said that he was having no second thoughts about changing teams. McLaren are a promising third in the constructors' championship, to Renault's fifth, and McLaren's best-performed driver this season - Lando Norris - is fourth against Ricciardo's sixth in the drivers' standings.
"Obviously no disrespect to Renault, and where I currently am, but no I don't regret it," Ricciardo told motorsport.com.
"Am I happy to see us progress? Absolutely.
"If it means that we've got Renault as a competitor next year to push McLaren further, then I think that's good for everyone. So no, I'm not regretting it.
"But I'm also not unhappy with the progress. I want to be racing at the front, and obviously every race in F1 is so important. So, every chance I get to do it, you know, the sooner the better.
"I am glad we're making progress and I feel a part of it, which is important as well for me, and I guess my growth as a driver."
Ocon has claimed that he will be better-performed next year with a season under his belt. Renault principal Cyril Abiteboul defended his No.2 driver's performance compared with Ricciardo.
"Daniel is a very strong driver. You don't have to explain that to anyone," Abiteboul told Auto Motor und Sport last month.
"He has become even stronger this year. Because the car has got better and the cooperation with the engineers has improved. The rear of the car has become more stable and that gives Daniel more confidence.
"Esteban is slowly coming back after a one-year break. But he is not as far away from Daniel as it might seem. He has to accept that Daniel is a real benchmark and he has to set himself realistic goals.
"OK, he made a mistake in qualifying at Mugello. But I forgive him for that. It shows me that he is attacking, that he wants more. I prefer that to a driver who simply accepts the status quo and the hierarchy in the team. I think the end of the season will still be a hot battle between our two drivers."
Ocon is 12th in the driver standings; curiously, one place adrift of McLaren's Carlos Sainz, who beat Ricciardo to the Ferrari seat of Sebastian Vettel for next season yet sits way down in 11th place.
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