In-demand Daniel Ricciardo has ramped up rumours on his future, claiming that former team-mate Sebastian Vettel “would not shy away” from a future reunion.

Ricciardo and Vettel raced together at Red Bull in 2014 and was the only season of Vettel’s eleven in F1 in which the German found himself outscored by a team-mate.

The Australian bagged an impressive three race wins compared to the Vettel’s zero, while collecting 71 more points than the German overall.The following year Vettel joined Ferrari.

With a win in China already under his belt, Ricciardo has been in scintillating form in the opening weeks of the 2018 F1 Championship.

Ricciardo has been strongly linked to follow in his old teammate's footsteps by joining Ferrari, as Vettel’s current team-mate Kimi Raikkonen is out of contract at the close of this year.

Kimi Raikkonen has been seen as second fiddle to Vettel during their time together at Ferrari, however, any move for the 28-year-old Australian would surely trigger a power struggle with Vettel to establish who is top dog for the Italian giant.

Some would assume that Vettel would want to block any move for the Australian after his struggles of old, however, Ricciardo himself intriguingly insists this wouldn’t be the case.

“I don’t think Seb is scared,” Ricciardo said, per Sky Sports. “He is 100 per cent a competitor, and lives and breathes F1 more than a lot us.

“That competitor in him would love a chance for redemption. He would not shy away from it. Some people would say 'he beat you in 2014, Seb, don't go up against him again', but the competitor in him will try and wipe that slate clean.”

There have been rumours of a pre-contract agreement with Ferrari, yet in public Ricciardo has insisted that he has only spoken to Red Bull about the future.

Should Ricciardo thrive at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, one would suspect that the rumours on his future will only increase.