Red Bull expect Ricciardo to stay

Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Daniel Ricciardo, out of contract for 2019, will re-commit to the team.

The Australian, touted for a move to either Ferrari or Mercedes, is also reported to have been offered a big-money move to McLaren.

"The key for me is does Daniel want to be in the team next year," Horner told Sky Sports. "I get the impression that he very much wants to be."

Pressed on whether Red Bull's decision to switch to Honda may affect Ricciardo's thinking, Horner stressed: "Daniel knows the reason behind this is to get ourselves in the best possible position and that's in his interests as well. He knows the ambition of this team."

Speaking to the media later, Horner added: "I would be surprised if he was to leave, because it's a good fit between himself and Red Bull, but it is Formula 1."

The possibility of Ricciardo moving to McLaren has been compared to the gamble Lewis Hamilton took five years ago when he left McLaren for Mercedes.

But Horner was dismissive of the idea the Australian would leave a race-winning seat for a team currently on the fringes of the top 10.

Sitting alongside Cyril Abiteboul of Renault and McLaren's Eric Boullier, Horner commented: "Let's not forget that he has been in a car that in the last couple of grands prix has been lapping the cars to our left. So it would be a fairly bold decision to step out of a car that he has won two grands prix in this year as a championship contender."

Find out more about Sky Sports F1 - French GP exclusively live on Sky F1, race start 3.10pm