Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner has once again dismissed a return of Sebastian Vettel to Milton Keynes, insisting an alpha male combination would not be useful for his team.
Vettel's departure from Ferrari at the end of the year currently leaves the German with very few opportunities to continue his career in F1 in 2021.
Filling McLaren bound Daniel Ricciardo's seat at Renault would entail racing in the midfield for Vettel, a prospect that is unlikely to appeal to the four-time world champion.
While Mercedes has taken note of Vettel's availability, team boss Toto Wolff is giving alternative options - like keeping the Silver Arrows squad's current line-up intact - a priority.
As for Red Bull, the team for which Vettel won all four of his F1 titles, Horner admits he can't see a home coming of sorts for the 32-year-old as long as Max Verstappen is onboard and given the outfit's current positive "dynamic".
"I think it's enormously unlikely," Horner told Sky Sports News.
"We have a long-term agreement with Max [Verstappen]. Alex [Albon] is doing a good job. We've got a good dynamic within the team.
"Experience shows that two alpha males, it doesn't tend to pan out well. Sebastian is still a very competitive grand prix driver. 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 he's chosen that it hasn't worked out for him at Ferrari."
Horner has no doubts about Vettel's ability to continue to race with the best in F1, but the Briton also believes his former driver's decision to part ways with Ferrari was not the result a capricious inclination.
"He's still relatively young, he's in his early 30s," Horner added. "If he chose to stay, he's obviously still very competitive.
"That's entirely down to him, and nobody will know that apart from Sebastian what his choices are.
"He's got strong values, he's got strong integrity, and I'm sure he will have thought long and hard about this.
"Whether he chooses to continue or not, he's achieved a huge amount during his time in F1. Four world championships, he's one of the most successful drivers of all-time."
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