Ricciardo, to this date, remains the only driver to outscore Vettel in a full Formula 1 campaign as teammates, as the Aussie finished third to Vettel's fifth in 2014.

And with Ricciardo's future an object of constant speculation, which had ramped up after his visible disappointment at losing the Monaco win due to a Red Bull mistake, Vettel said he would not be against having the Aussie as his teammate again.

Asked about the possibility, the four-time world champion said: "[When] I raced with him in '14, we didn't have any problems - and I knew him before that.

"I don't mind him, I like him, I think he's a strong guy and obviously he had a good season in 14. Last year and this year it's a bit difficult always to judge because you don't know what's going on internally, but, from what I know, he's a good guy.

"Then again, it's not my decision, not my job to sign people. I haven't spoken with the team and it hasn't been a subject that's come up yet. I think we are currently we're busy enough trying to close the gap, that's the main priority."

Vettel also added that he did not feel he had unfinished business with Ricciardo as a a teammate.

"I think 2014 is behind me and the way I look at it is different to the way people look at it and the way people remember.

"Because at the end you always take the raw result - quite a simple approach, but it's not always that simple. The same as on a test day, when you say somebody is P1, he's P1 for many reasons, maybe not because he's the quickest."

No "tricks or games" with Raikkonen

Vettel, however, also stated that he would be content to see current teammate Kimi Raikkonen retained for 2017.

"I certainly don't mind," he said.

"We definitely get along, it's very easy to work with him because you don't have to worry about any tricks or games that are potentially a distraction to get the job done."

Additional reporting by Roberto Chinchero