Christian Horner says that there is no hurry to finalise a deal with Mark Webber for next season, but insists that he expects the Australian will stay.
Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has added a twist to the story by apparently suggesting in an interview that Webber would retire at the end of next season and create an opening for Daniel Ricciardo.
“Things can get lost in translation,” said Horner. “We’re talking with Mark about next year. I’m expecting him to be here next year. He’s a popular member of the team. He could have another two, three, four years, that’s down to him. He’s still very competitive and very hungry.
“We always agreed that later in the summer we’d sit down and talk. Mark and I have got a very good relationship. Conversations with Mark, as you all know, tend to be fairly straightforward. Both sides are keen to continue. During the next few weeks we’ll take this opportunity to sit down, and during this break in the championship, look at next year.”
Horner says that there are no firm plans for Ricciardo.
“I think Daniel is on a development phase. He’s got this opportunity to come into F1. He looks a really interesting talent. But he’s just starting to cut hid teeth in F1. He’s got his opportunity with HRT, it’s hard to benchmark his ability, because effectively he’s only racing his team mate. It’s a great opportunity for him which I’m sure he’ll hopefully make the most of.”
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog 
I can’t see why Red Bull Racing would change drivers for next year.
Who could do a better job that Webber, aside from Vettel, Alonso or Hamilton?
I very much doubt even Button would be as strong as Webber.
What I do love about this story is the Webber-hating Helmut Marko keeps getting overruled by Dietrich Mateschitz despite being his motorsport boss.
Mateschitz should sack Marko, the man is a fool.
I agree, Marko comes off like a bit of a nutter!
I’d love to see Daniel go to STR next year and then maybe jump up to RBR in the future. The whole point of having a driver program is so that drivers can build experience and move up. I think that’s partly why Marko doesn’t like Webber because he was never part of that program and so in a way it makes Marko look a bit silly that his drivers aren’t moving up (other than vettel of course!)
I do agree that maybe Marko´s declaration were lost in translation. From the beginning I understood that he was talking by the end of 2012 no 2011.
I think Marko is an interesting character. You don´t get to be the second in charge at Red Bull without some skill… Plus like it or not, he has being a big part on the development of the young drivers.
I do agree that he is partial to his young drivers, and that’s just normal. He wouldn´t be human if he wouldn´t develop some attachment to the kids he is being nursering.
Plus call me biased but I find his relationship with Sebastian really cute; when Seb jumped to hug him after winning Abu Dhabi was one of my favorite moments on F1.
There’s no reason to talk about the end of 2012 unless Marko knows that Webber will be there next year – and he hasn’t signed anything. It was all double-speak from Marko so he could be misinterpreted.
While I’m sure Mr Horner will have some input, I also feel that the organ grinder will be telling the monkey what he will be doing.
Agree… Helmut Marko is just an arrogant Austrian. Didn’t even mention Mark Webber by name. ” When the Australian retires in 2012 !”
Hope that Mark Webber does write a book with his days at RED BULL when he does retire and tells the whole story .
It would utterly senseless for Ricciardo to move to Red Bull in the next two years. the pressure would kill him. Although I would love to see him beat Vettel.
Webber is there because he is the ‘engine room’ of the team in a way that, allegedly, Vettel is not.
This has all the smell of Webber getting the big hose job this year.
OK, we’re tired of this guy,,, any other news?