Vettel prefers Kimi to Alonso

Given a choice between Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso as his next team-mate, Seb Vettel says he would prefer the Finn.

With Mark Webber quitting Formula One at the end of the season, Red Bull have a vacancy to fill and they initially named Raikkonen as well as Toro Rosso duo Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne on their shortlist.

Vergne has since fallen off the radar while Alonso’s name was thrown into hat in Hungary over the weekend after his manager Luis Garcia Abad met with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

While the Red Bull bosses might be keen on the Spaniard, Vettel has made it clear he would rather have Raikkonen as his team-mate.

“I’d prefer Kimi,” Vettel told BBC when asked as to his choice between the two.

“I need to be careful now, but nothing against Fernando. I really respect him a lot as a driver.

“But I respect Kimi on track, off track, because he has always been very straight with me.

“From that point of view it would be a bit easier.”