Horner rules out Vettel-Red Bull reunion
Christian Horner says it is “extremely unlikely” Sebastian Vettel will rejoin Red Bull next season following his departure from Ferrari at the end of 2020.
Vettel is searching for a drive for next year after the announcement he and Ferrari agreed to part company and not renew his contract beyond the current campaign.
McLaren and Renault are among teams to have been linked to the four-time word champion, but Vettel stated he would “take the time” to consider his options concerning his Formula 1 future.
A Red Bull reunion has also been speculated, where Vettel endured a successful spell that resulted in four straight drivers’ titles from 2010-2013.
But with lead driver Max Verstappen tied down until at least 2023, Horner said the prospect of Vettel returning to the team would lead to the unwanted dynamic of “two alpha” drivers.
“It’s enormously unlikely,” Horner told Sky Sports News when asked if Vettel could move back to Red Bull in 2021.
“We have a long-term agreement with Max, and I think Alex [Albon] is doing a good job.
“We’ve got a good dynamic within the team and experience shows that two alpha males doesn’t tend to pan out well.
“Sebastian is still a very competitive grand prix driver so I don’t think it would be conducive for our team to have two alphas. We’re happy with the driver line-up we have. I’m sure he’s not short of options moving forward, but obviously he’s chosen it hasn’t worked out for him at Ferrari.”
Asked if the German could walk away from F1 at the end of the season, Horner replied: “He’s still relatively young, he’s in his early 30s, if he chose to stay he’s obviously still very competitive.
“That’s entirely down to him and nobody will know that other than Sebastian what his choices are. He’s got strong values, he’s got strong integrity, and I think he’ll have thought long and hard about this.”
A switch to world champions Mercedes has been perceived as an unlikely destination for Vettel considering rival and reigning champion Lewis Hamilton is at the German manufacturer.
But with Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas are both out of contract post-2020, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has expressed an interest in pursuing Vettel’s signature, despite insisting loyalty towards its drivers is a priority.
“Sebastian is a great driver, a major personality and an asset to any Formula 1 team.” said Wolff. “When looking to the future, our first loyalty lies with the current Mercedes drivers but naturally we must take this development into consideration.”