Red Bull want Vettel at STR next year

The future of Toro Rosso's current drivers, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed, is in doubt and Vettel, a Red Bull-backed driver, has been widely linked with a seat there.

Mateschitz said he is ready to offer Vettel a seat, but the Austrian billionaire admitted that the German's contractual ties with BMW Sauber mean that the decision is out of his hands. Vettel has been loaned to BMW Sauber until the end of 2008.

Mateschitz said: "If he becomes a free agent, which means he is contractually not bound for next year, we will come back to Sebastian and he will come back to us.

"He has been a Red Bull driver since his early days in karting. It depends on the choice of BMW for next year. I see that (Nick) Heidfeld will be set and it depends if they go for (Robert) Kubica or (Sebastian) Vettel."

And Mateschitz has moved to calm speculation that Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais is certain to switch to F1 with Toro Rosso next year.

He says a decision will be made after the Frenchmen tests again at Spa-Francorchamps next week.

"It would mean we buy another sight unseen. But Bourdais will test for STR next week and we will see afterwards."

Mateschitz has also rubbished rumours coming out of Germany that Ralf Schumacher was in talks about a race seat at one of the Red Bull teams next year.

"This is not a question of neighbourhood (Ralf lives in Salzburg) or helping hands, but a very rational one.

"Ralf is a good driver who goes through a difficult period right now, but he has nothing to do with us. There was not a single conversation with him."