DANIEL Ricciardo’s bosses at Red Bull have ruled out releasing the Australian driver to join Mercedes as Nico Rosberg’s replacement.

Following the F1 world champion’s shock retirement, Mercedes will begin its search for a new driver on Monday with Ricciardo having just completed a brilliant season.

Rosberg’s decision to walk away from motor racing just five days after sealing his maiden title leaves Mercedes — F1’s all-conquering team that has won 51 of the past 59 races — with a vacant seat next season. The 27-year-old Ricciardo confirmed his status as one of the sport’s most exciting talents when he claimed third in the championship behind Mercedes duo Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

But Red Bull boss Christian Horner said Ricciardo and his rising star Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen, 19, were off limits.

“Our drivers are both on long-term contracts,” Horner told the UK Mirror.

In a column for Red Bull Racing, Ricciardo reflected on his successful 2016 season — a much brighter campaign in comparison to a horror 2015 when he finished eighth behind then-teammate Daniil Kvyat in the drivers standings. He also looked ahead to exciting times for the sport next year.

Rule changes will allow for wider tyres and increased downforce in 2017 (courtesy of changes to cars’ front wings), meaning drivers’ bodies will cop even more punishment than usual. The Aussie said the need to prepare himself physically was a tantalising prospect because he could actually work on putting some muscle on his frame rather than focus too much on trying to keep the weight down.

“I’m actually looking forward to getting back into the training because of the rule changes next year and that the cars are going to be a fair bit quicker in the corners,” Ricciardo wrote.

“We’ll have to change some things up in the preparation, and the in-season training will change too — in the past few years we’ve concentrated on things like trimming weight and keeping kilos off, and the training itself isn’t that challenging.

“Next year will be different. Being able to put on some strength and muscle will be more challenging and more rewarding, so I’m up for that. I’m all for making it harder!

“Time to unlock the hidden Honey Badger.”

He said his third placed finish this season was more satisfying than the same result he achieved in 2014, despite winning only one race this year compared to his three victories a couple of years ago.

His battle with teammate Verstappen was also an intriguing subplot in the Red Bull garage throughout the season.

“I finished third in 2014 of course and won three times that year and just once this time, but this year’s third feels better, feels more convincing. Feels more sustainable too,” he wrote.

“2014, it was hard to fault that, but this year I felt like I did everything I did in ‘14, but at a higher level when I really pushed myself.

“There were races this year when Max (Verstappen) was half a second quicker than me in Q1 and Q2, and then I’d pull out a Q3 lap that was three, four-tenths quicker. I was able to find some pretty good levels through the year, and there were quite a few times that I was able to exceed my own expectations for what I thought I could do, maybe even surprise myself a bit.”

Although his race in Monaco ended in disaster when a bungle in pit lane allowed Lewis Hamilton to overtake him and grab the win, the man with the widest smile in sport still looks back on that weekend with a degree of fondness.

“Monaco was the best of them though, and that pole lap on the Saturday is probably the strongest memory of the year, maybe even more than winning in Malaysia,” Ricciardo wrote.

“I’d said quietly to my trainers and some people around me that pole there was one that I was really chasing, and to get it after I’d put some pressure on myself, that was pretty cool.

“Tabac, into the Swimming Pool section there — that five seconds of qualy was the best five seconds of the year! Good motivation for next year too.”

For now Ricciardo is just looking forward to getting back home to Australia and whacking on a pair of thongs and talking nonsense with his mates.

See you in 2017, Daniel.