An evasive Daniil Kvyat says talks over his Toro Rosso future have not yet begun, with the Russian insisting he is focusing purely on driving.
Kvyat's chances of retaining his seat at the Red Bull junior team appear increasingly precarious amid a run of disappointing results and the form of GP2 championship leader Pierre Gasly, the next man in line to fill any vacancy.
Asked ahead of the Singapore GP when he expects to learn about whether he is staying for 2017, Kvyat replied: "I don't expect anything."
Asked to clarify what he meant, Kvyat replied: "I just do my job."
He added: "When the moment will come, we will talk. It hasn't come yet and whenever it comes I'm pretty sure it will happen. It's a little bit between me and Red Bull. I've always been loyal to them and now I'm giving my best for Toro Rosso."
Kvyat has scored just two points in the 10 races since his return to Toro Rosso after losing his Red Bull seat to Max Verstappen. The Russian's chances of impressing have also been hampered by the increasingly dated Ferrari engine the team are running this season.
"I just keep working and do my job as good as possible with what I have in my hands," said Kvyat.
"It's not an excuse, we just try to work hard. Everyone has limitations, we have ours, and we'll try to work around it. Then, whatever happens next year, I don't know."