Daniel Ricciardo says he found it difficult and frustrating to work out which teams had genuine interest in signing him while he weighed up his options in the driver market this year.
In August, Ricciardo's shock move to Renault for 2019 was confirmed. It followed several months of the Australian driver considering offers from various teams in the paddock, although the common consensus was that he would sign an extension to remain with Red Bull.
Ricciardo eventually picked Renault's offer over that of Red Bull and McLaren. While most believed his options at Ferrari and Mercedes had closed up earlier in the year, ESPN understands he was still waiting on an answer from the latter ahead of the German Grand Prix as Toto Wolff dithered over whether to extend Valtteri Bottas' stint with the team.