The two recent F1 victories of the Australian (the Spanish and the Monaco Grand Prix) have determined Helmut Marko, the adviser of Red Bull’s owner Dietrich Mateschitz, to say that the team wants to continue with Vettel and Webber in 2011.
Rumours further developed after Horner was seen in Monaco on Sunday night having dinner with Flavio Briatore, Mark Webber’s manager. But the Briton denies having started negotiations to extend Webber’s contract, adding that they will sort that out when the time is right.
"The team and Mark are very relaxed about the situation. He is an important member of the team and he is driving fantastically well. But we have not spoken, and have no real interest in speaking, with any of our drivers. When the time is right, we will sit down and look at the paperwork," Christian Horner was quoted as saying by British tabloid The Sun.
The 33-year-old Australian driver has a valid contract with Red Bull until the end of the current season. His younger team-mate Sebastian Vettel has a contract that runs until the end of the 2011 season.
Mark Webber joined Red Bull in 2007, after two seasons with Williams. He ended his first two seasons with the Austrian team on 12th and 11th place respectively, but since the major rule changes that have taken place in 2009 he became a constant front-runner. Last season he was 4th in the championship and this year he leads the drivers’ standings after six rounds.
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