Vettel hints he may well be tempted by Red Bull

FOUR-TIME world champion Sebastian Vettel says he is open to returning to Red Bull.

Vettel (right), who has been ditched by Ferrari for next season, won a quadruple haul of championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.

Max Verstappen has emerged as the team’s main man and drives alongside the Londonborn Alexander Albon.

Team principal Christian Horner has implied that Red Bull do not have any interest in re-signing Vettel but they are yet to announce their line-up for next term.

Asked if he would be prepared to make a return to the team which helped to make him statistically the third most successful driver of all-time, Vettel, 33, said: “It’s a winning car, I’m here to compete, I’m here to win so probably the answer would be yes.

“I know how strong they are from the past. The team has evolved, so it’s not fair to say I know the team inside out because it also has changed and moved on but I know why they were strong back then.

“They are a contender so for sure that would be interesting.”

Vettel finished 10th in Austria last weekend after he spun while battling with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz – the Spaniard who is set to replace Vettel at Ferrari.

The German’s options for next term are drying up. This week, Renault announced that double world champion

Fernando Alonso will be racing for them in 2021.

Mercedes are yet to confirm their line-up for next season but while it seems improbable that Lewis Hamilton will leave, Valtteri Bottas could be moved on. That could free up a seat for Vettel and allow the most decorated driver line-up of all time.

Racing Point, set to be rebranded as Aston Martin next year, might also be an option for Vettel.

He added: “I did speak to Renault but obviously at no point was it concrete enough or that there were fundamental talks.

“As you’ve seen they’ve gone a different direction. It doesn’t change much for me.

“It really depends on my decision, which I’m not pressured to take in the next couple of days. I want to take the time that I need.” n FERRARI’S Charles Leclerc has escaped with a warning after breaking Formula One’s strict Covid-19 protocol.

All F1 personnel are required to remain within their so-called bubbles between races as a precaution against the virus.

But a picture of the 22-year-old Leclerc posing with a waiter at a Monte Carlo restaurant this week emerged on social media.

An FIA spokesperson said: “Ferrari have been issued with a reminder and warned that any further breaches of the Covid-19 Code of Conduct could be referred to the stewards.”