Daniel Ricciardo: Renault may be Red Bull's best option for F1 2016

Sources have confirmed to Autosport the door is open for Red Bull to remain with Renault for next year, with talks ongoing, despite the team's earlier wish to end its contract a season early.

But with Mercedes making clear it has no desire to supply a key rival, and with discussions with Ferrari so far stalling, Red Bull may yet see out its deal with Renault.

Ricciardo has claimed the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari "are scared" to supply Red Bull.

Asked by Autosport about the prospect of continuing with Renault, despite the power-unit issues that have blighted the past 20 months, Ricciardo said: "Obviously I want to be racing next year, I want a seat, I want to be on the grid.

"But if someone said we're going to be racing but we're going to be 16th, then maybe I don't want to be racing.

"So if they [Renault] can prepare something better than we've had this year and it gives us a chance to fight further up the grid, then yeah, it's one of our better options for now.

"Let's see. We can't rule out anything, but we do want something competitive.

"Just to run around and make up numbers is not what we're about, and as a driver I'm not really interested in that."

Team-mate Daniil Kvyat feels Renault could find a way to ensure it competes with Mercedes and Ferrari in 2016.

"I believe through hard work and dedication you can achieve everything. It doesn't matter what problems you had in the past or anything," said Kvyat.

"I have no idea about these talks with Renault, Ferrari, Mercedes, Lamborghini or whoever it is. We just have to be patient at this stage.

"Every day it is different questions and different situations. I don't know much more than you know.

"Guys like Christian [Horner] and Helmut Marko are highly professional and will do everything they can to put us in a good position for next year."

Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan has claimed time is now pressing for the team to fit an engine into next year's car should a new supplier come forward.

"It's getting a little bit late. At the moment it would be a squeeze, but we can do it," said Monaghan.

"We could go to the first test and it be a washout for three or four days, so it is wrong to say anybody that runs at that test would automatically have a benefit on us.

"Yeah, they might, but we could cope. However the land lies we will deal with it."