Red Bull confident of Webber stay
Tuesday 2nd August 2011
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is ready to sit down with Mark Webber over the next few weeks to thrash out a deal for 2012.
Webber's future has been the subject of intense speculation as the season has progressed, however, it is becoming increasingly likely he will remain with Red Bull for another year.
Horner said: "We're talking about Mark for next year, and I'm expecting him to be here. He is a popular member of the team.
"We've always agreed that later in the summer we would sit down and talk.
"Mark and I have a very good relationship, and conversations with Mark - as you all know - tend to be fairly straightforward.
"Both sides are keen to continue, so during the next few weeks we will take the opportunity to sit down, and with this break in the championship look at next year."
Beyond 2012, however, is unclear, with matters complicated further on Monday by team advisor Helmut Marko, the right-hand man to team owner and billionaire energy drinks magnate Dietrich Mateschitz.
Marko apparently claimed to an Australian television station before the race that Webber would retire at the end of 2012, with the team to bring in Daniel Ricciardo.
Young Australian Ricciardo is a product of the Red Bull young driver development programme, and after serving as Toro Rosso's reserve earlier this year is now on loan to Hispania Racing.
Explaining the remark, Horner added: "I think you'll find Helmut said 'possibly'.
"I think Helmut was probably focusing more on Ricciardo, and these things can obviously get lost in translation.
"Mark could have another two, three or four years in F1. That's down to him because he is still very competitive, very hungry."
Webber could only finish fifth in yesterday's Hungarian Grand Prix, losing further ground to team-mate and championship leader Sebastian Vettel who had to settle for second behind Jenson Button.
Vettel, who leads the drivers' standings by 85 points with 200 left to play for, was far from happy with finishing second from pole, and has urged the team to push after the summer break.
Horner can appreciate Vettel's sentiments, but believes he produced a "mature" drive in difficult conditions, with second far more valuable than potentially failing to finish.
"When you have the ability for a lot more things to go wrong in a race like that, to come away with second place and extending his lead in the championship is a really positive result," said Horner.
"After the break, after everybody has recharged, we're determined to come out of the blocks in good shape with our focus to turn up and try to win every grand prix.
"Of course Sebastian wants to win, he is focused on winning, and he will continue to push.
"But he also knows on days when he can't win that to finish second isn't a disaster."
Credit: ESPN STAR (www.espnstar.com)
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