Amid a week of rampant engine speculation, it is now claimed Renault, who are expected to confirm a McLaren deal this weekend, will not renew their contract with Red Bull at the end of 2018.

The two parties have had a difficult relationship throughout the hybrid era, as the French manufacturer's inability to match the performance of Mercedes and Ferrari saw the Milton Keynes outfit lose their place as the dominant team and still struggle to compete for victories after almost four seasons.

A miserable 2015 saw Red Bull actively seek a deal elsewhere but, fully aware of the abilities the team possess, none of the other suppliers were willing to entertain the idea of supplying. That meant the Austrian drinks giant had to return to Renault but would later rebrand the engines after a sponsorship deal with TAG Heuer.

Now likely comes the news that the team has been desiring but it is Renault, who have recently agreed to supply McLaren from next year, that have reportedly triggered the eventual split by deciding not to renew their engine contract.

If confirmed, it would be quite a turnaround as Motorsport.com claims a new two-year deal had been agreed albeit not announced but that has now been cancelled in the wake of Toro Rosso switching to Honda for 2018.

The consequence will likely see Red Bull be forced to join their junior team with the Japanese manufacturer in 2019, which based on their level of improvement over the next 12 months could be disastrous or a blessing.

If it is the prior, that could have a major impact on the driver market as both Daniel Ricciardo, who is out of contract, and Max Verstappen, who has also been linked elsewhere, may well look to fast-track their exit.

The opportunities created could be numerous however, as a technical partnership similar to that Honda has had with McLaren in the past three years could be forged and the two already have an association via the Honda Racing MotoGP team.

Looking longer-term though, a Honda partnership no matter how successful may only be temporary as it has been claimed Red Bull could be bought out by Porsche ahead of a full works return in 2021, as well as an engine supplier to coincide with new engine regulations.