Daniel Ricciardo says he is flattered to be linked with Ferrari as he wants to be at a team where he can regularly challenge for wins.
Ricciardo was the only non-Mercedes driver to win a race last year with victories in Canada, Hungary and Belgium, but this year Red Bull has fallen further off the pace and has not finished on the podium. Despite having three years left of his Red Bull contract the uncertainty around Kimi Raikkonen's future at Ferrari has prompted speculation Ricciardo, who has an Italian passport, could be in line to replace the 2007 world champion next season.
The Australian says his main motivation regarding his future will centre around his desire for more of the wins he experienced last season.
"I won't go into too much detail," Ricciardo said when pressed on the Ferrari link at a Red Bull media event in Milton Keynes. "First and foremost, not talking about contracts or anything, what I want is to win. A lot of my frustration this year is because of that. We are not in a position to win and as a driver that is the only thing I want, at least in this point of my career when I am still young and hungry, and I feel I have still have a lot of potential in me. That is what I want.
"Going back on the Ferrari thing; it is nice to be recognised by a team like that so I will take it a compliment and see what happens."
Asked if he could rule out a move to Ferrari, he replied: "It is a tough one. I will probably never rule anything out completely, because I don't have experience with contracts. I haven't been in F1 all that long.
"I am sure things can change; anything can change. Dietrich said some things in the press as well, and you never know what is going to happen. As I said, it is unlikely but yeah."
Ricciardo is unsure he could get out of his current Red Bull contract even if he wanted.
"Obviously with contracts this and that, it is not as easy as saying 'yeah I will go to Ferrari and that is that.' There are things in place, and right now it would be, from my understanding of contracts, it is not likely that I can get out. But at the same time, I really feel that Red Bull can make a change for next year and can get back up the front. I still think we have good people in the team. I think we still have the ingredients to do it, it is just making that next step - it has to be the right step and I think we can get back up there.
Ricciardo suggested the progress of Renault over the next few months would be key to his final decision.
"Without going into it too much, but being honest from my side, I think we have to at least to see some evidence or proof that we are going to close the gap next year. And Renault is willing to do that and we need that commitment from them. It is a more a part for Christian and the guys at the top to deal with, but obviously as a driver behind the wheel we need to see that. I think Red Bull deserves that, they are a team that have the ingredients to win and they deserve to have a package to do it. I think we need to see that from them to move forward."