You just know with all these showruns and track days that Sebastian Vettel is just itching to get back into a full-time race seat. But with age not on his side completely, we know that the 4x champion isn’t in this for the long haul. He wants to close this chapter of life on a high, just as he began. And with each passing day, as Vettel drums up the rumor mill with his coy replies, is an iconic return to Milton-Keynes brewing up in the background?

It would be the perfect comeback for Vettel. The prodigal son will indeed return if Red Bull and the 36-year-old agreed to join forces once again. Even though the stars have seemingly aligned for this historic reunion, there does seem to be one gaping hole in this jigsaw threatening to derail it before it even begins to gain traction.

The one issue blocking Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull return

Vettel would take up a role in the RB20 in a heartbeat. The Bulls would love nothing better than to have a seasoned champion and a proven race winner in their car. And the fans? Well, it would be a joy to behold Max Verstappen rubbing shoulders and banging wheels with Seb. But a $20,000,000 impediment stands in their way.

That’s right, there’s a contract for the Bulls to honor with Sergio Perez that runs till the end of 2024. Currently, on a $10,000,000 per year salary, Perez’s commitment to the team would prove an almighty roadblock for Vettel’s return.

But if we were to assume that the lawyers down at Milton-Keynes could strike a deal, is Vettel eager to see himself in Red Bull overalls once again? When Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle prodded the German about an F1 comeback, Vettel promptly replied, “I can’t say no because you don’t know!”

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But with people now throwing Sebastian Vettel’s name around in Perez’s miserable future at Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo has come out of nowhere as the man actually in the driver’s seat.

The Bulls throw massive Daniel Ricciardo hint amid Vettel rumors

Red Bull taskmaster, Helmut Marko has a habit of throwing the cat amongst the pigeons. True to form, when Sebastian Vettel’s topic came up, the ex-racing driver slipped in a Ricciardo-sized note that could have a massive bearing on the Honey Badger’s own F1 future.

Though enthused at the idea of seeing Vettel return, he shut down rumors of the German’s alliance with them by citing Ricciardo to be the main-runner for Perez’s seat. He was quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying, “We already boast an experienced racer in Daniel Ricciardo. Should Sebastian decide to make a comeback, his ambition would naturally gravitate towards joining an elite team with a focus on capturing victories.”

Who drives for Red Bull in 2024? Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel or Sergio Perez?

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