Daniel Ricciardo admits it's his "dream" to be told by his Red Bull bosses that he's returning to the premier team for 2024.
Those Red Bull bosses have insisted numerous times in past days, weeks and months that they will honour Sergio Perez's contract for next year, despite his performance slump.
But world champion Max Verstappen, who was paired with Ricciardo before the Australian left in 2019 on his ill-fated detour to Renault and McLaren, admitted on Thursday that he could imagine teaming up with Ricciardo again.
"I find it a bit unfair to sit here and say who I'd prefer as a teammate," the Dutchman said, "but I always had a great relationship with Daniel when we were teammates and also when we weren't.
"But at the same time, I also have a great relationship with Checo," Max added.
Ricciardo is now back in top form with Red Bull's junior team Alpha Tauri after recovering from his broken hand, but also impressing is teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
"Alpha Tauri have had a lot of upgrades and have taken a big step in terms of speed and tyre management," Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko told ORF at Interlagos.
"Both drivers are seriously fast."
And so, the rumours swirling around Perez but also Ricciardo still have plenty of momentum.
"I'm used to rumours," Ricciardo, 33, smiled to the Belgian broadcaster RTBF on Saturday. "I was on the wrong side of them last year, so I know what Checo is going through at the moment.
"But obviously it's my dream and it would be a fairytale to come back to Red Bull. On the other hand, I don't wish bad for Checo - or anyone for that matter.
"I'm just focusing on myself."
