Red Bull have warned rival teams interested in their drivers that they are not available.
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“And as I said, it might give us a few clarity or answers”.
Speculation continues that Red Bull will dispense with the services of Renault after a disappointing 2015 season.
“I’ve thought to myself how nice it would be to have a auto like we’ve had with a Mercedes in the back”, said Ricciardo.
“I think once we get to Abu Dhabi after that, we need to start working”. “I always had faith we would (be competing next year), but it is the first step towards a better 2016, so it is good news”.
Interestingly, it appears that Red Bull and sister team Toro Rosso may once again diverge in terms of power unit, with the Italian-based operation reverting to Ferrari power with use of a year-old V6 package from Maranello.
Red Bull have yet to announce an engine deal but all the signs are pointing to an agreement with current suppliers Renault after exhausting all other options.
However, it is not a foregone conclusion that Ferrari will drop Raikkonen at the end of next season.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo expects this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix to be used as an evaluation test by his Red Bull team as they run Renault’s latest upgraded engines.
“[The Rebranding] could be something exotic, it could be nothing, or one of those marketing things Red Bull is very good at”. Running parallel to Red Bull’s engine crisis, is a wider power game being played out between F1’s rulemakers and its leading engine manufacturers.
“First of all we’d have to look what regulations surround those engines, the competitiveness of that engine, but if it was a guaranteed competitive engine then absolutely”, he said.
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“At the price that they’re talking about, it would be a no-brainer. If you look at the issues that are now supplying power supply and the prices of power supply at the moment – upwards of $30 euro – it’s just too much money”.
