Now, I know Todd already posted the Final Verdict on the Red Bull crash at Turkey, but I think some new information really tells the tale, once and for all.
According to Autosport, Red Bull is trying to lock up Sebastian Vettel, who already is under contract through 2012, until the end of 2015.
Mark Webber? He’ll be getting a year-to-year deal. (If he signs!)
Do we really need to know anymore than that? And can we really argue with Red Bull? Vettel’s young, he’s still the “next big thing” and while Webber has been putting it all together during the past few weeks, the team does have to look to the future.
Now, just how much that played into the aftermath of the Turkish Grand Prix we all can, and have, debated.
But I think there is no doubt where the ultimate Red Bull loyalties lie.
To dive deeper into Red Bull’s attempts to make Seb there’s for the next five years, apparently the kid is smart enough to realize one important thing: Don’t stay unless that Newey guy will be there, too.
And apparently Adrian Newey will be sticking around for quite some time:
Hopes of keeping Vettel on board have been boosted by the fact that the team’s technical chief Adrian Newey has indicated that he is now likely to stay at the outfit for the long-term, after agreeing to a rolling contract.
Team principal Christian Horner told AUTOSPORT about the Newey situation: “The relationship is open-ended. He is enjoying what he is doing, he enjoys the environment at Red Bull and he is still relatively young.
“It is not like he is an old timer, so I don’t think he has any plans to retire at the moment. He will certainly be here for the foreseeable future.”
At this moment, I’d assume most of us would say this is a good call on Sebastian’s part, especially with the Newey news. But we all also know how quickly fortunes can change. I’d also wonder if Vettel will get the biggest and best deal right now, given the still struggling economy. Not that he’ll be wanting for any cash, but there’s that calculated risk in getting yourself some guaranteed money versus maybe really hitting the jackpot in 2012.
Imagine if he’s a world champ by then. Or even a double. Heck, triple. He could command a Kimi Raikkonen-sized contract, you’d think.
And it’s an awful big decision for a guy to make without any professional managerial advice. It will be interesting to see how this comes out.
Supposedly all will be in place in time for the British Grand Prix.
