Ricciardo out of reach for Renault

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul admits that the team are not yet ready to attract a driver like Daniel Ricciardo to join them, despite reports linking the Australian with a shock move to the French squad. Abiteboul instead has turned his attentions to completing a long-term deal with Red Bull's Carlos Sainz Jr.

Sainz is on loan to Renault for the 2018 season, a move which was completed in the latter stages of last season.

The Spaniard has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Ricciardo if he decides not to extend his contract with the team beyond the end of this season.

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Although Mercedes and Ferrari have been linked with Ricciardo, Silver Arrows boss team principal Toto Wolff says he is not looking outside of his current stable for next year's line-up, while Sebastian Vettel has routinely talked up a prolonged union with current team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

And it appears that Renault is an unlikely landing spot for Ricciardo, who is keen to take a potential race and title-winning seat for next year.

"We are interested in talented drivers, and Ricciardo is a talented driver," Abiteboul told Motorsport.

"I think Daniel Ricciardo is very well positioned to have a very clear understanding about where we are strong, where we can be weak. And I am talking about the engine, because obviously he is using a Renault engine, which can be good and some time can be wrong.

"If we want to seduce drivers like Ricciardo – maybe Ricciardo, but maybe other drivers – the first thing that we need to do is to get our stuff right. And if we manage to build the best chassis-engine package, I am pretty sure that we can attract, because we can show that we are serious about our ambitions, someone like Ricciardo.

"But the first thing that we need to do for Daniel is to fix… not fix, because it's not broken, but to make sure that we are in complete control of the engine situation."

With Nico Hulkenberg and Sainz impressing so far in 2018, Abiteboul believes consistency could be key as Renault attempt a tilt at the top teams.

"We have in my opinion still two great drivers, but obviously we have a particular situation with Carlos, which is a contract where we are exposed for next year, and we knew that since day one," said Abiteboul.

"That's why we need to start thinking way in advance about what could be the situation.

"And frankly, that is why we have already started discussion with Carlos about longer term, about what can happen beyond this year, accepting that it's not completely in his hands nor our hands.

"[It is] not a super comfortable situation to be in, but we need to accept that we are still playing catch up on many areas and one of the areas is also driver market, where we still need to try to be more in control of our future and of our destiny."