Daniel Ricciardo insists he will remain at Red Bull for the entire duration of his contract, which runs until the 2018 Formula One season.
The Australian ace is coming off a very strong campaign, finishing third in the Drivers’ standings behind the unbeatable Mercedes duo with one win and another seven podium finishes.
While Ricciardo’s name has not appeared on the rumour mill as a potential replacement for Nico Rosberg, there could be several high-profile openings come the end of next year, be it at Mercedes or Ferrari where Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen are about to enter a contract year.
“I’ve got two more years at Red Bull, that's where I'm going to be,” Ricciardo was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press during a trip to his hometown of Perth.
“There's a lot of people that are tempted to jump into that [Mercedes] seat. I just hope whoever gets it appreciates it - it's a damn good one.
“But for me, you'll see me in a Red Bull [at Melbourne].”
Should Red Bull manage to build on its promising 2016 season, the relationship between Ricciardo and hotshoe team-mate Max Verstappen is bound to be a fascinating one to watch in 2017.
Meanwhile, Ricciardo's 2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 title rival Valterri Bottas has emerged as the front runner to team up with Hamilton at Mercedes.
2016 team-by-team review: Part two
2016 team-by-team review: Part one
Andrew Green: Force India's smooth operator
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