Renault managing director Cyril Abiteboul admits the team is having to consider their driver options for 2019 should Carlos Sainz be called to Red Bull.
Currently, the Spaniard is on loan with the French manufacturer, having switched from Toro Rosso as part of the deal which saw McLaren/Honda divorce last year with the Italian team taking on the Japanese engines.
However, with Daniel Ricciardo's future at Red Bull uncertain as he assesses his options for next year, Sainz is still the man many expect to replace the Australian if he does indeed leave.
"We need to make plans, we need to be prepared for the worst as always," Abiteboul told Reuters.
"The worst for us would be that we would want to stay with Carlos and that's not possible. And it can happen, let's be honest."
Regardless, the Renault chief revealed that work has already begun on the initial stages of the 2019 car and Sainz is being included in the process.
"We had a meeting this week with him to talk about the plan for next year, the objectives and also the early concept of the 2019 car," he said.
"It's a clear sign we are not thinking that, in the back of our mind, he may not be with us.
"It may happen, but we don't want to compromise short-term or middle-term performance by starting to mitigate the way we are working with him."
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Currently, though his performances compared to Nico Hulkenberg are a little short of what some expected with the 22-year-old yet to out-qualify his teammate.
"It would be completely inappropriate to start making judgements, way too early," Abiteboul claimed when asked about that fact.
"But it does say something about the quality of his teammate and that's great, that's only positive."
