Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says there is no reason for his squad to have a different driver pairing in 2016, with Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat set to remain at Milton Keynes next year.
Although the Australian was briefly linked with a move to Ferrari at the start of F1’s silly season, Ricciardo soon labelled the speculation “a bit of a laugh” and said he had a long-term contract with Red Bull.
Meanwhile, Kvyat’s graduation from Toro Rosso got off to a challenging start when limited mileage and engine-related reliability issues denied the Russian an opportunity to shine across the opening races.
Never a man to mince his words, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko even increased the pressure on Kvyat after both Toro Rosso rookies Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz outshone the F1 sophomore in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Since then, the former GP3 Series champion has been “developing very nicely” and secured his maiden podium finish at Budapest last month.
Asked about Red Bull’s 2016 line-up at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, Horner replied: “I don't see any reason to change it.”
“We don't have any rush to make a decision, both the drivers are on long-term contracts, but it's a successful partnership and it's working well.”
Following another impressive performance in the Belgian Grand Prix, Kvyat has now moved ahead of his highly-rated team-mate in the 2015 Drivers’ standings, with 57 points to Ricciardo’s 51.
Click here for a lighter look at the Belgian Grand Prix, courtesy of F1i special contributor Eric Silbermann.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Lewis Hamilton upheld Ferrari’s dominance in free practice on Saturday at COTA, with the seven-time…
Full results from Free Practice 32 for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, round…
Kimi Antonelli is closing in on a place in Formula 1 history, but one chapter…
Red Bull arrived in Austin riding a wave of momentum, but Friday’s running at the…
The Mexican Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will always hold a special place…
Adrian Newey has offered a candid assessment of Aston Martin’s challenging first season with Honda,…