Red Bull given more time to decide F1 future by Renault

Renault have given Red Bull extra time to consider their options for 2019 as the French power unit supplier look to prevent their biggest customer defecting to Honda. Red Bull opened talks with the supplier of sister team Toro Rosso at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, having grown frustrated with Renault's inability to match Mercedes in the hybrid era.

Before the Silver Arrows' dominance of Formula 1, Red Bull lorded it over F1 for four years, with Renault engines on board for each of Sebastian Vettel's four title triumphs.

However, the team have won nine grands prix in the four seasons and four races since then.

Renault gained McLaren as a high-profile customer for 2018 after the Woking squad grew tired of a miserable reunion with Honda - the title-winning glories of the late 1980s forgotten as the best they could manage was a few fifth-place finishes.

READ MORE: Red Bull and Honda in 'positive' talks
READ MORE: Ricciardo future must be decided by August

However, Toro Rosso's performances with Honda this season - including a run to fourth in Bahrain for Pierre Gasly - have reportedly caught the attention of the senior Red Bull squad, with "positive talks" reported after the Baku event.

Despite reported bad blood between the organisations over their public feuding, Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul says the French brand remain willing to work with Red Bull, even giving them extra time to ponder their options for next year.

"After twelve years together marked by many wins, we would be ready to continue with them," Abiteboul told Auto-Hebdo.

"The number one issue is timing. We won't be able to guarantee the availability of a Renault engine for 2019 beyond May 31.

"We were nice, we gave them two extra weeks."

Red Bull have also been linked to a potential link with their title sponsors Aston Martin, although any technical relationship with the sportscar brand would not begin until 2021, when F1's engine regulations are set for a shake-up.