Ricciardo: 'More wins and Red Bull may look attractive for 2019'

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Chinese Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo wants more wins with Red Bull before considering a new deal with the Milton Keynes-based outfit for 2019 and beyond.

The Aussie delivered a spectacular win last Sunday to himself and to his team, a result that puts Ricciardo in the limelight and may possibly offer the 28-year-old the luxury of choice for next year between F1's three plum teams, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

Christian Horner is urging his driver to stay on, but the Honey Badger wants to see more wins from Red bull before considering his options more definitively.

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"I definitely want to be with the best car. I think the weekend proved that if I’ve got the opportunity to win I can pull it off. I can handle that pressure and that intensity.

"If we can win a few more with Red Bull now then that looks very attractive. If not, then I guess there are probably other options," Ricciardo told Australia's Channel 10.

"I said it from the start. The win helps, but if we were finishing sixth every race this year then that is not the most attractive option to me."

A haul of 25 points in Shanghai has put Ricciardo back in contention in the drivers' standings, but he insists it's too early to consider his championship chances.

"I think it’s too early to say yes [we can fight for the title] because we won at the weekend," he said.

"We need to win regularly to kind of show that. But if we come out and win again in two weeks in Baku then I will probably say yes."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.