Ricciardo: I've got to figure out where I can gain the most

As much as Ricciardo is a 'hot property' on the Formula 1 driver market, the truth is that Ferrari and Mercedes are not bashing the door down for his services. It appears that the timing of his availability is wrong for the two big teams.

Only the Big Two or Red Bull can give him a winning car which seems to be his priority, despite a $20-million buck offer from McLaren news of which emerged during the French Grand Prix weekend

"I said it from the start, the priority is to try and get a car that can win a world title because I really believe I can. So that's the first thing in my mind."

"If there was absolutely no possibility then you look into other things, but I think as a driver I think I've done enough now… even Lewis [Hamilton] touched on it, and I didn't even need to really say it, your value as a driver is not 'X' amount of money it's just what you feel your value is and what you bring to the sport."

"I feel I hold a certain value so I just want to at least match that with my expectations and what also people value me as."

Asked if he feared taking a step back with his eventual 2019 move, the Australian replied: "If I don't win a title and whether I'm coming third or fifth, it's probably no different to having a step back.

"The only way my career takes a step back is if I stop performing. Obviously, if I just came off three world titles and gone to a team that's only coming fifth, that's probably a step back.

"But because I've been floating around that top three, top five mark for the last few years, there's probably not really a step to take back unless I stop performing.

"So I don't really fear that, for me there's only something to gain, I've just got to figure out what place that is to make that gain," added Ricciardo who has won twice so far this season and lies third in the championship standings.

The 29-year-old Australian has been with Red Bull since his teens, in Formula1 they groomed Ricciardo starting with his debut with HRT, then a spell at Toro Rosso before a promotion to Red Bull.