Dietrich Mateschitz has left open the door to Mark Webber receiving a new contract to keep racing with Red Bull beyond 2012.
The Australian is the only significant member of the championship-winning team who is not yet already signed up for the 2013 season.

But billionaire team owner Mateschitz this week backed Webber, 35, to return to Sebastian Vettel’s pace this year, insisting the pair will receive no more or less than equality in 2012.

At the same time, however, Webber was utterly dominated by Vettel last season, causing some experts to predict that Red Bull will replace him for 2013.

Indeed, Mateschitz said at the Jerez test last week that “Our primary goal is to put one of our juniors in the car”.

He told the German-language Speed Week magazine: “That’s one reason why we changed the drivers at Toro Rosso.

“Both (Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne) are highly talented and have great potential, but the question will only arise if, for example, Webber stops at the end of 2012.”

Mark Webber had already signed his new contract for 2012 before the summer speculation stepped into its highest gear.
Throughout the August shutdown, it was not certain whether the Australian would be staying alongside Sebastian Vettel next year, or giving way to a youngster like Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi.

In fact, Blick newspaper said Swiss Buemi was “disappointed” with Saturday’s official news because he had “secretly expected” Webber’s seat.

But birthday boy Webber, 35, said he has known about 2012 for weeks.

“(It was) signed not long ago, I think it was the last race (Hungary), actually, on the Sunday,” he said after qualifying third at Spa.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner insisted Webber is once again guaranteed equality with Vettel in the new deal.

Webber, meanwhile, was asked whether it is his preference to always sign one-year deals, or the team’s.

“Little bit of both, I think,” he answered. “The one year extensions are not too bad for me, and also I think it suits them as well. Bit of 50-50.”

Mark Webber has admitted to deliberately ignoring Red Bull’s imposition of team orders in the closing laps of the British grand prix. The Australian revealed that he received four or five calls from his engineer to back away from teammate Sebastian Vettel, before team boss Christian Horner sternly issued the terse order to “maintain your position”. Briton Horner said immediately that while Webber will be frustrated, he “should be fine” with the team strategy. “I am not fine with it, no,” Webber clarified. “I ignored the team as I wanted to try and get another place.” The situation has rekindled memories of last year’s in-fighting about equality between Vettel and Webber, and brought into renewed focus the fact that the latter’s contract is yet to be renewed for 2012. “Well, I cannot change that — that’s part of such actions,” championship leader Vettel told F1′s official website after the Silverstone incident. Asked if the situation might affect Webber’s contract negotiations with Red Bull, Horner – who admitted he was “surprised” with the driver’s attitude – said at Silverstone: “I sincerely hope not. “It’s something he and I will talk about in private,” added the team principal.

Flavio Briatore has questioned whether Mark Webber receives equal treatment at Red Bull.
Banned former Renault boss Briatore, making a visit this weekend to the Monaco paddock, still manages Fernando Alonso as well as Webber.

The Australian has had a difficult start to 2011 and Briatore admitted to wondering if things are running smoothly in the pit garage next to runaway championship leader Sebastian Vettel.

“I think that team is big enough for both drivers to have equal opportunities,” Briatore told the Spanish sports newspaper AS.

“Every time there is a problem, it is Webber, and although in life you have to be lucky, it’s strange when all you get is bad luck.

“I believe unquestionably in (Christian) Horner’s quality, but Webber needs to be able to compete in order to challenge for the title, for the spectacle, like Prost-Senna,” added the Italian.

“Maybe they think it’s better to have a first driver light and clear. I always had a number one and number two with a chance of being competitive and working together.

“This works better than having a number one and number two working for themselves only. Except with Fernando and Schumacher, I never counted on one driver only,” said Briatore.

Mark Webber has admitted he has “no idea” whether Red Bull will deploy a team strategy to help him win the 2010 world championship.

Many pundits believe his teammate Sebastian Vettel should now be backing Webber’s campaign to close the 11 point gap to Fernando Alonso with two races to run.

But, at least publicly, team boss Christian Horner insists Vettel will enjoy total equality in Brazil and Abu Dhabi while he is mathematically still able to win the championship.

Asked if he thinks the young German will, for example, try to overtake him at Interlagos this weekend, Webber told the Swiss newspaper Blick: “No idea.

“Up until now no one has spoken about it,” the Australian said in Sao Paulo.

“Perhaps we’ll talk about it at the first briefing on Thursday, or perhaps we won’t,” added Webber.

Former grand prix driver Alex Wurz, who is Austrian like the Red Bull brand, is the latest to advise the team that putting its eggs in the Webber basket is now the smartest strategy.

“They are in a position where they almost have to use team orders — for Webber and against Vettel,” he told Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

But Wurz acknowledged Red Bull’s reluctance, particularly as 23-year-old Vettel is regarded as the darling of the team.

“Webber firstly had to fight for equality this year,” he said. “In the end he imposed it, literally, with his performance.”

Meanwhile, Wurz does not believe Red Bull’s RB6 will enjoy a “mega advantage” this weekend at Interlagos.

“The slow middle sector will be good for Ferrari, and the McLaren will go well in the uphill section of the third sector.

“Then I see Abu Dhabi being Red Bull’s territory,” he added.

Karl Wendlinger insists it is “hard to imagine” that Red Bull has ruled out the possibility of deploying a team strategy at the final two races of 2010.

Following suggestions Sebastian Vettel might play a supportive role to boost teammate Mark Webber’s chance of winning the drivers’ title, Red Bull bosses insisted the pair will enjoy strict equality in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

But according to Austrian Wendlinger, a former Sauber driver, it is “difficult to imagine” that Red Bull has “totally ruled out” the concept of using team orders.

He also noted on Austrian television Servus TV that Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has confirmed that if there is a lack of spare or new parts in Brazil, it will be Webber who is offered them first.

That is a “psychological advantage” for the Australian, Wendlinger said.

“He (Webber) knows he is better placed in terms of points and that the team wants one of its drivers to be world champion,” he added.

Niki Lauda reinforced the view that “intelligence is not the same as team orders”.

He was very critical of Ferrari’s infamous strategy at Hockenheim, but insists that Red Bull should now be fully behind Webber.

“I’ve never said anything about (Red Bull using) team orders. Just that they have to be sensible,” the triple world champion told Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

“What Ferrari did at Hockenheim for example was an affront to the spectators.”

When asked if that means, for example, that Vettel should not try to overtake Webber at Interlagos this weekend, he answered: “Exactly. But this is nothing to do with team orders.”

Mark Webber insists he is not concerned that it is Sebastian Vettel, and not himself, who is regarded as the star of the Red Bull team.

Australian Webber is better placed in the points standings than his German colleague Vettel, but team figures are insisting upon a situation of driver equality for the remaining two races of 2010.

Experts believe the situation is a reflection of the fact that it is 23-year-old Vettel who is the darling of the Austrian team.

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” Webber said in an interview with the Italian magazine Autosprint.

“I am 34 years old and I think it’s great that I’m still at the top level and as competitive as I am,” he added.

“If I was ten years younger and was getting the same results, I’m sure you’d all think I’m the superstar.

“I think the only difference is that Vettel is young. I don’t really see him working any differently than, say, Heikki (Kovalainen) at Lotus,” said Webber.

“I think the best way to judge someone is to consider the consistency of their results,” he added.

Felipe Massa has confirmed that if he can help Fernando Alonso to reinforce his lead in the drivers’ world championship this weekend, he will.

“If it depends on me, then for sure (I will help),” he is quoted as saying in Brazil by the news agency EFE.

Massa, who was controversially ordered aside for his Ferrari teammate at Hockenheim in July, is a specialist of his local Interlagos circuit and a crowd favourite.

But he concedes the Italian team’s desire to put its full weight behind Alonso’s title charge.

“I’m a professional. I did it already in 2007,” added Massa, referring to his then teammate Kimi Raikkonen’s successful championship campaign alongside him three years ago.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali has confirmed this week that Alonso and Massa will return to a position of equality in 2011.

When asked if Spaniard Alonso is the best teammate he has had at Ferrari, he answered emphatically: “No. I’ve had three (teammates) all at the same highest level.

“I don’t need to say anything about Schumacher because his career speaks for itself. Kimi was also excellent. I see all three of them on the same level.

“Alonso has had a better season than me and has been more competitive. It has not been my best year, not only with the results but also the problems I have had in qualifying warming up the tyres.

“For me, 2011 will be better than 2010,” he insisted.

In additional comments published by the Globo newspaper, Massa said he thinks his Brazilian fans will understand his position at Interlagos this weekend.

“I think the public has always treated me very well, not only the day before what happened in Germany, but also the day after.

“The journalists, no. But the public, yes — always. I am sure the fans will be great and I will do my best to give them a good result,” added Massa.

Lewis Hamilton has admitted it “would be fantastic” to have his teammate’s support in his quest to win a second drivers’ title in 2010.

Fellow McLaren driver Jenson Button is the reigning world champion, but with a bad race in Korea last Sunday his points deficit fell to 42 points with just two races to go.

In the sister MP4-25, Hamilton is 21 points off Fernando Alonso’s championship lead, sparking suggestions the time is nigh for Button to play a Felipe Massa-like supportive role for the rest of the season.

Woking based McLaren, however, operates a strict policy of driver equality, even though boss Martin Whitmarsh said before leaving Korea that a team strategy will be discussed internally “before we get to Brazil”.

When asked about his and Button’s approach with now just the Interlagos and Abu Dhabi rounds to go, Hamilton said: “We both push as hard as we can to score as many points as we can for the team.

“Clearly we’re both far behind, him further than me. I’m 21 points behind, so I’ve got to get a lot of points.

“I don’t know what will happen. You will have to speak to Martin on what he thinks he will have to do.

“All I know is I have to get as high as possible and it would be fantastic to have Jenson with me,” added the 25-year-old Briton.

Button said in Korea that he will only voluntarily fall in line behind Hamilton when he is “mathematically” no longer in the hunt. He also said he is confident he “won’t be asked” to support Hamilton until then.

“Lewis is still very much in the hunt. Mathematically, it’s not impossible for Jenson, but it looks quite tough, very difficult for him,” said Whitmarsh.

Jacques Villeneuve has admitted he wants Mark Webber to beat his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel to the 2010 title.

The 1997 world champion, in Australia for a touring car race, said the Australian driver has been “amazing” in the face of difficult conditions.

“He’s been very strong mentally, it’s the best he’s ever driven, and the team has been against him as well,” said Villeneuve, referring to Webber’s struggle for status alongside the rising star Vettel in 2010.

Earlier this week, French Canadian Villeneuve said he thinks Webber has a mental advantage over Vettel, who he denounced as “spoilt” by Red Bull.

The German newspaper Die Welt said Villeneuve’s opinion is widespread within the driver camp, its headline announcing that Vettel is “unpopular among his colleagues”.

Rubens Barrichello said the ill-feeling can be traced back to Silverstone, where Webber triumphed despite publicly declaring he felt like a “number 2 driver”.

Red Bull has pledged equality, at least for the three-race run to the Abu Dhabi finale, but team boss Christian Horner thinks the team has bigger problems.

“We are going to have to reckon with tactical games,” said the Briton, referring to Ferrari’s clear system of preference as Felipe Massa supports Fernando Alonso’s title charge.

“Our philosophy,” added Horner, “is different.”

Red Bull has pledged driver equality for the 2010 title fight, whilst openly admitting that Sebastian Vettel is regarded as the man of the future.

“The main thing now is that we become world champions,” said Helmut Marko, who was accused earlier this year of wanting Vettel to beat Australian Webber to the top spot.

But with Webber 14 points clear, and Vettel level-pegging with Ferrari’s chasing Fernando Alonso, the Austrian-owned team must give the 34-year-old an unimpeded run to the chequered flag.

For the future, however, Red Bull’s ambitions are well known.

“I repeat: we are building the team around Sebastian,” team boss Christian Horner is quoted by Auto Bild.

“Sebastian has a long career ahead of him and hopefully he will spend it with us,” said the Briton. “Mark is in the autumn of his career.

“He wants to retire while he’s at the top, not when he’s past his peak like some other drivers,” added Horner.

1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, however, thinks Red Bull are making a mistake by giving 23-year-old Vettel so much cover.

“Just look at the differing seasons Mark and Sebastian have had,” the French Canadian is quoted by the Telegraph.

“Vettel has shown he has an impetuous streak but if he makes a mistake and the team don’t tell him it was his fault, he won’t learn.

“It’s Red Bull’s fault for spoiling him,” insisted Villeneuve.

Stefano Domenicali has admitted it will be “interesting” to see how Ferrari’s rivals tackle the remaining three races of 2010.

Of the title contenders, only the Italian team is solely focused on a single driver, while Red Bull and McLaren still endeavour to provide equality to each of their race drivers.

“In the other two teams they have both drivers that will fight (each other),” said team boss Domenicali, contrasting Felipe Massa’s role for the rest of the season in support of Fernando Alonso’s title challenge.

“I think it will be very important to see how all the drivers approach the next few races mentally, within the teams and against the other drivers — it will be very interesting,” he added.

The most obvious negative example of a team’s commitment to equality is 2007, when McLaren’s acrimonious duo Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso tied on points but both lost the championship against the odds to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Flavio Briatore, who is Mark Webber’s manager, insists Red Bull should order the Australian’s teammate Sebastian Vettel to fall in line.

“With only three races left, Red Bull should make Mark their number 1 driver,” he said in a new interview with the Times of India.

He thinks team orders and the notion of number 1 drivers have an obvious place in formula one, whose biggest prize is the individual drivers’ title.

“If I had been at Ferrari, I would have done the same thing,” said Briatore.

Christian Horner has answered “no” as to whether Red Bull will be using team orders in the three-race run to the 2010 world championship.

Separated by 14 points, both leader Mark Webber and his young teammate Sebastian Vettel are both in the running for their first drivers’ titles.

Flavio Briatore has been recently highly critical of the team’s philosophy of equality, but boss Horner insists he will not be favouring Webber over Vettel.

“What else should he (Briatore) say as Mark’s manager?” Horner is quoted on Friday by F1′s official website.  “My answer is a clear ‘no’.

“Of course, I can imagine that Flavio would prefer it if we go the Ferrari way and put our efforts behind only one driver, but that would be wrong, as both are right in the middle of the fight for the title.

“The only thing we expect from them is that they don’t hamper each other,” added the Briton.

Horner said it is a “luxury” for Red Bull to have two competitive drivers vying for the title, but it is feared their fight could allow Fernando Alonso to pick up the pieces and his third drivers’ title.

He admitted that it is not necessary to “dig too much into psychoanalysis to understand that if two guys are fighting for the most prestigious title in motor sport then tension is part of the game”.

Horner described their Istanbul crash earlier this year as a “huge challenge”, leaving a big task now so that “neither feels disadvantaged”.

But both Webber and Vettel are still able to be champion, he insisted.

“I promise that the team will not interfere in the race for the title,” said Horner.

The likelihood of imminent ‘number 1′ status for Mark Webber has taken a backwards step.

After the Australian moved further ahead of Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel in Belgium two weeks ago, he suggested the time might be nearing for the team to put its eggs in the Webber basket.

However, the 34-year-old has a tetchy relationship with team consultant Dr Helmut Marko, particularly after the Silverstone front wing saga and Webber’s unhappy boast that he is the “number 2 driver”.

So when it was put to Austrian Dr Marko that Webber might now be favoured over Vettel, he told Sportwoche: “A few races ago he (Webber) was demanding more equality!”

Marko is also critical of McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh’s post-Belgium comments that Vettel has become F1′s “crash kid”.

“That’s not a fair way for them to fight for the championship,” he charged.