Would Red Bull really call off a stampede that has seen it set the standard in Formula One for much of the past five years? From its early days as a team seemingly more concerned with partying than performing in the mid-2000s, Red Bull became the sport's benchmark in the early part of this decade. But could the energy drinks company turn its back on the sport as quickly as it ascended to its summit?
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In early April, Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz made it clear that he wouldn't hesitate to pull Red Bull Racing and sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso out of F1 unless Renault produced an engine that would allow the squads to be competitive, while at the Australian Grand Prix, Mateschitz's motorsport advisor and right-hand man Dr Helmut Marko claimed the current engine regulations would "kill the sport".
Red Bull has a signed commitment to the sport until 2020, but at the Malaysian Grand Prix in March, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone conceded "if they decide to leave, there is nothing we could do".
While the Red Bull quit threats have been dismissed by many of the sport's insiders as posturing by a team struggling to accept a downturn in results, Daniel Ricciardo admits he's been following the story with interest.
Any Red Bull withdrawal would see the Australian become the hottest property on the driver market, with high-profile teams like Ferrari – which employs the oldest driver in the sport in 35-year-old Kimi Raikkonen, who is out of contract at the end of 2015 – just one potential destination.
Ricciardo says he's "not blind" to the tension behind the scenes at Red Bull.
"When I hear about it and the frustrations with Mateschitz, I completely understand as he's not in this sport to make up the numbers," he says.
"If we as drivers are frustrated, I'm sure he's just as, if not more, frustrated, because it's his brand, his money and his image. Whether these exit threats are real or directly coming from him, I don't know. But I do hear them; it's hard not to.
"For me, what he chooses to do in the future is not in my control. What is in my control is to make sure I do all I can to keep this team successful and give it the best chance to have it return to the top."
