The good news is that Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat are to be retained by Red Bull in 2016.

The bad news is the team has yet to secure an engine deal.

"Both drivers are under contract," said Horner following yesterday's Mexican Grand Prix in which the pair finished fourth (Kvyat) and fifth.

"Ricciardo's contract is fixed," added the Briton, "and obviously all the options are on our side with Kvyat. He is doing a great job. So long as we are here, he'll be in the car next year."

That was the easy part, the not so easy part is finding an engine to power the pair. With Mercedes and Ferrari ruled out, Ron Dennis has apparently scuppered any hope of a Honda deal while management must be kicking itself having jumped the gun in terms of Renault.

Talking of which, suggestions that the French manufacturer might yet buy the Austrian team have been described as "unthinkable" by Dietrich Mateschitz.

Whilst the Austrian is understood to have extended the deadline by which point he will make a decision on his teams' future, Horner admits the clock is already ticking in terms of working on the 2016 car.

"At the moment we are right on the limit to be at the first test," he admitted. "But the team in Milton Keynes have demonstrated their ability to work to massively tight deadlines and I'm sure we'll be able to meet whatever targets we need to so long as we come to a decision in the next couple of weeks."

Whilst the Austrian team ponder the possibility of a stop-gap for next season - but even then the question is who - Horner admits the FIA's plan for an independent (cheaper) alternative is the way to go.

"An independent engine for the future of Formula One is a no-brainer," he said. "It's important to have a competitive, economical engine. And if it can't be the current engine, there needs to be another engine."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by mickl, 10/11/2015 16:15

"You'd think Marko would have signed Fred Flintstone and Barnie Rubble just to hedge his bets."

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2. Posted by Spindoctor, 04/11/2015 14:46

""An independent engine for the future of Formula One is a no-brainer," he said. "It's important to have a competitive, economical engine. And if it can't be the current engine, there needs to be another engine."....

Oh dear! Perhaps an "independent chassis" for the years when RBR's is a lot faster?"

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3. Posted by F One, 03/11/2015 18:46 (moderated by an Adminstrator, 03/11/2015 18:54)

"This comment was removed by an administrator as it was judged to have broken the site's posting rules and etiquette."

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4. Posted by Willie, 03/11/2015 14:37

"A good time for someone at the top to suck it up and beg Renault to get on with it."

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Red Bull has its drivers for 2016, but no engines...

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