According to British magazine Autosport, it seems that Red Bull and team principal Christian Horner is looking to sign the German 22-year old driver for an additional 3 years. Vettel's contract expires at the end of 2012, but the Milton Keynes based team is apparently fearing that the German will be heavily offered by rival teams in the next couple of years due to his high profile in the series.
Consequently, the team went on to defy common sense following the race in Istanbul and defended Vettel – although everybody in the paddock saw it the other way around – last weekend, probably trying to secure him a sense of protection within the team. While the No 1 status at Red Bull is clearly not an unknown factor anymore, it would be only natural for Vettel to fancy a Red Bull stay.
Despite the controversy after the Turkish Grand Prix, it seems that Mark Webber is also in pole position to secure a one-year extension to his deal with Red Bull, with media reports suggesting a contract could be signed by the British Grand Prix. However, the 33-year old Aussie is only looking at one-year extensions from now on, as age has been confirmed by advisor Helmut Marko as a major issue in the negotiations.
The same Marko told the media that Webber's contract discussions should be a formality. In recent weeks, the Australian driver – who is currently leading the drivers' classification – was linked with a move to Ferrari, where he would replace Felipe Massa. However, that possibility is highly unlikely.
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