Daniel Ricciardo remains confident his decision to play the long game over his Formula 1 future won't backfire should results fall short of expectations.

The Australian is likely to be one of the main stories of 2018 as he enters the final year of his Red Bull contract. He has made it clear he is prepared to move elsewhere should the Milton Keynes outfit again fail to deliver a title contending car.

With that, however, comes the pressure of ensuring he remains an attractive option to the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes, both of whom also have seats available for 2019, but the five-time Grand Prix winner believes he can thrive in that situation.

"Yeah, I’m aware as well that there’s always a risk," Ricciardo told Racer. "But that’s where I’ve obviously got confidence in my approach and what I’m going to do and I’ve got confidence that I will be performing."

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Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has made it clear the seat alongside Max Verstappen is more than open for the 28-year-old until 2020, but the goal is simple for Ricciardo, who has admitted his decision is perhaps the most important in his racing career.

"I want to be world champion before I’ve got grey hair," he stated.