Carlos Sainz Jr. doubts Red Bull's newly-announced engine deal with Honda fo🙈r 2019 will have any impact on his future, with the team still retaining an option on the Spaniard's services for next season.

Sainz joined Re♔nault for the final four races of last year as a makeweight in the deal that saw Toro Rosso and McLaren swap engine supplies for 2018, with his deal at the French team extending through to the end of the season.

Red Bull retains an option on recalling the on-loan Sainz for 2019, potent🎀ially as a replacement for Daniel Ricciardo should the Australian opt to leave. Ricciardo has six months to run on his existing contract, and has been linked to Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren for next year.

However, Sainz does not believe Red Bull's decision to switch to Honda power units from 2019 will have any impact on 𝓰his own future, which he is still sure of influencing.

"I don’t think 𓂃it changes anything on my ꧑future," Sainz said.

"I think last year, maybe the engine deals affected my f🅰ut🍨ure. This year, I don’t think my future depends on engine deals.

"I’m pret🅠ty sure I will have an influence on my future. I’m probably more dependent on Red Bull than Ricciardo. At the same time, Red Bull 🍨is the one who has an option on me to get me this year, and I’m depending a bit on that option.

"I think everything is going to develop from now on after this en🐼gine deal, and we’ll see what happens."

Sa♐inz said that while he remains very close to Red Bull F1 chiefs Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, he is yet to discus🧜s plans for 2019 with them.

"I taꦅlk to Red Bull like I used to in the past. I still have a very strong relationship with Helmut, with Christian, and I get on well with them," Sainz said.

"We talk, but at the m﷽oment, about the future, there’s been no talks because I think no-one knows what’s going to happen yet."