Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has ruled out the possibility of Sebastian Vettel joining Max Verstappen at the team.
In a year when speculation over his future is likely to be in overdrive, a return to the outfit where he won his four world titles was seen as a possibility for Vettel if he chose to leave Ferrari.
However, the prospect of creating what would be a Red Bull dream team appears to have now been shut down by the Austrian.
“With Max’s extension, I can’t imagine the two Vs [Vettel and Verstappen] being with us,” Marko said to Germany’s Motorsport-Magazin.
“Financially alone it would be very difficult.”
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While a reunion then is unlikely, Marko still remains a fan of Vettel and believes he can fight back against Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.
“If Sebastian feels comfortable – if he has a car that suits his driving style – then he is absolutely there,” he stated.
Helmut though does still see one area where the Monegasque will get the upper hand.
“Sebastian is a very straightforward athlete who doesn’t want to know much about politics and doesn’t want to fight,” he added.
“Leclerc has an advantage with his manager (Nicolas) Todt, who is certainly very good in all of those areas, but he (Vettel) can counter with his performance.”