Ricciardo would 'play number two role' at Mercedes or Ferrari

Dr Helmut Marko has warned Daniel Ricciardo that he could be a 'number two' driver if he decides to leave Red Bull for Mercedes or Ferrari. The contracts of Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Kimi Raikkonen and even world champion Lewis Hamilton expire at the end of the season, which could prompt a frenzy of moves.

Victories in Shanghai and Monaco have further strengthened Ricciardo's hand as he plots his next move and the Australian is a potential title contender if Red Bull can close the gap across enough circuits this year.

He might be even closer if it were not for his wipe-out with team-mate Max Verstappen in Baku - an unfortunate consequence of the pair being allowed to race freely by Red Bull.

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Although, naturally, never officially, Raikkonen is widely seen as number two to Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari, while Bottas has struggled to match Hamilton's performances, despite Mercedes insistence that they do not employ orders on their drivers.

However, in an attempt to convince Ricciardo to stay, Marko has expressed concern that his racing freedom may be impinged at another team.

Marko told Auto Bild: "Nothing changes for us. We want to keep him and Daniel knows that too.

"What should he do at Mercedes or Ferrari? Play the number two role?

"Because Raikkonen next to Vettel and Bottas at Mercedes next to Hamilton are clear number two drivers. You can see that.

"With us, Daniel would have equal opportunities. With the same material. No team order.

"I think he knows this too."

Ricciardo wants to drive for regular race wins and potential titles in 2019, but Red Bull's potential switch to Honda power units could affect their ability to keep pace with Mercedes and Ferrari.

Team principal Christian Horner says that deciding whether to remain with Renault or switch takes precedence for Red Bull before securing Ricciardo.

"The reality is finding a solution to conclude a deal with Daniel in the next couple of months," Horner said.

"First thing is get the engine sorted and then very much follow on from there with [the] driver."