Daniel Ricciardo would like to have some progress made on his Formula 1 future post-2018 before Christmas, he has claimed, as the Australian expects talks with his Red Bull team in the coming weeks.

The 28-year-old is out of contract with the Milton Keynes outfit at the end of next season and his position inside the team has been questioned in recent months, following the continuing rise of teammate Max Verstappen, who has opted to sign until 2020.

The same offer has been extended to Ricciardo by Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner but, after four years coming up short performance wise and with potential seats at Mercedes and Ferrari, the five-time Grand Prix winner has said he will keep his options open.

"I’m sure there will be a few discussions in the next week or two, especially with the team,” he commented recently. "Once I get home and over Christmas, I want to switch off from racing so I would like to know something earlier.”

It is believed, as part of his new contract, Verstappen has taken a hefty pay rise to remain with Red Bull but the 'Honey Badger' claims money will not be the main priority in those conversations.

"It’s not about the offer, it’s about who is going to have the best car for 2019," he said, with challenging for the world championship his top focus

Whether he could that with Red Bull though will likely depend on Red Bull's engine supplier Renault, with their unit continuing to be the main weakness after strong gains with the chassis throughout 2017.

The progress of Honda will also be a notable story to follow, with junior team Toro Rosso taking on the Japanese manufacturer in 2018.