Where Will Webber Go In 2014?

[Quiet One 15]

I was once near Mclaren's factory and even I am considered in many circles a Mclaren legend.

No, you heard wrong. A McLaren "leecher"

[HandyNZL 1]

Sainz.

You heard it here first....

[JHS18 0]

What is WEC which people keep mentioning?

World Endurance Championship.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Sainz.

You heard it here first....

Carlos?

[Emmcee 0]

No his son,forgot his first name.

[Massa 0]

His son is Carlos Sainz, Jr.

One would probably expect Sainz to be the next STR driver at the very least.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

What's his history? Does he deserve it?

[Massa 0]

What's his history? Does he deserve it?

I'd like to see him spend another year in Formula Renault 3.5, myself. He's only 18. There's no reason to rush it.

He's doing GP3 and FR3.5 at the moment; a full season of the former and just a few runs in the latter, it seems. One podium and a pair of fastest laps in the GP3 car. A sixth place is his best (of three races) in FR3.5. See how the seasons play out for him, but I think a little bit more experience is going to be needed.

That all said, I would expect that, if there is a vacancy at STR, he will fill it, simply because STR stops serving its purpose when Red Bull brings in someone from the outside.

[Emmcee 0]

I read before,apparently it's mark webber's decision,whether he wants to stay at Redbull next year or move on. Do you Beleive this is true, or he has signed somewhere else? I tend to Beleive him as he tells the truth about his contracts and what is happening.

[Insider 0]

He's going nowhere - literally!

[Jem of the Shire 0]

I'd like to see him spend another year in Formula Renault 3.5, myself. He's only 18. There's no reason to rush it.

He's doing GP3 and FR3.5 at the moment; a full season of the former and just a few runs in the latter, it seems. One podium and a pair of fastest laps in the GP3 car. A sixth place is his best (of three races) in FR3.5. See how the seasons play out for him, but I think a little bit more experience is going to be needed.

That all said, I would expect that, if there is a vacancy at STR, he will fill it, simply because STR stops serving its purpose when Red Bull brings in someone from the outside.

I don't think a teenager will get an F1 seat. Esteban Tuero did in 1998 but that didnt work out so well.

Anyway don't Red Bull have a load of youngsters waiting in the wings to choose from in their young driver programme?

[Emmcee 0]

Jamie alguersuari was 19 in his debut race,and he did quite well during his short (so far) career with what he had. Could have done alot better if given the chance imo

[KoolMonkey 0]

Webber won't do V8's as a regular, maybe the longer races though. He's been based in the UK for years now, heck he hardly sounds aussie at times, or only when he wants to like Nicole (I'm American sounding since I'm on American TV, oh wait I'm true blue aussie on Australian TV.

I hope he does stay in F1, I'm just over him being at RBR. A straight swap with Kimi would be good. But who knows maybe he's lost his passion as I've commented many times, why is he even in F1 since he looks on a bummer, and over it most of the time.

[Massa 0]

I don't think a teenager will get an F1 seat. Esteban Tuero did in 1998 but that didnt work out so well.

Anyway don't Red Bull have a load of youngsters waiting in the wings to choose from in their young driver programme?

Not anymore. The Red Bull program is smaller and smaller. Only six drivers are in it now, and only one is racing in a category above Sainz...

...but that one is Antonio Félix da Costa, who I somehow forgot about. He'd get the call to STR before Sainz. Careless error on my part.

[HandyNZL 1]

Mitch Evans is also in "the programme". His "programme" being two years in GP2 and then.....

[Massa 0]

Interesting. He's not on the website. Red Bull has only ever sent one driver to GP2 before that I can think of (Scott Speed...maybe Sébastien Buemi, too...).

http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Red-Bull-Junior-Team-2013---Drivers/001243182347847

Of course, there are no guarantees STR opens up a seat. Unless Tost gets restless, there would be no reason not to retain Vergne and Ricciardo, assuming neither is called up to Red bull.

But Tost does get restless. That's how Vergne and Ricciardo are there right now, I guess. Though, I honestly thought both were an upgrade from Buemi and Alguersuari, who just didn't have much potential, I thought.

[KoolMonkey 0]

Webber to Lotus. That's my prediction. If there is truth to Vettel heading to Ferrari down the line, it would make sense for them to grab Kimi next year. Otherwise if Vettel is going to stay longer than his recent contract extension, then it really doesn't matter if Webber stays or goes. He's not going to be a team leader at that team anytime soon.

[Emmcee 0]

I'd like to see him in the lotus,but I think its to late for him to start moving to a new team and developing a car, even though he is getting hammered his best bet is to stay where he is I think, at least he MIGHT have a chance to win a few mor gp's but not in the lotus. I can't see him doing a better job than kimi IMO.

[KoolMonkey 0]

I agree. I can't see him doing any better than Kimi at all, and I would think by now he's be moaning and whinging about something... all along "tellilng it like it is" as if being Australian and a straight talker, somehow gives him or anyone more right to complain.

But compared to driving in another series, if he really does have his heart in F1, Lotus surely isn't a bad team to be in. And he'd be #1 and a mentor to The Crasher. Oh wait, didn't he call him a name or an idot or something. Ok now that would be a good pairing indeed.

[Emmcee 0]

Lol you mean "nut case grosjean" I cant see romain staying there long either, he gets to rattled by critism, I would personally like to see webber and ricciardo in the lotus team as a pairing,they would work well, but IMO the best place would be Mclaren, I think he would fit in quite nicely there and would get along with button quite well. But that won't happen, he said the ball is in his court as to what he does at rb, if you can Beleive that, IMO I think he will stay where he is.

[rwgordon 0]

Really hard to pick what's going to happen with Webber. I think to some degree the rest of this year might be a deciding factor, I also believe there is 0% chance he'll stay at Red Bull. The damage done in Malaysia can't be healed by any number of hours swimming on the beach, so either Webber won't get picked up or won't want to stay.

[Emmcee 0]

Well I see Malaysia as sebs fault so I dont see rb holding that against mark as they were certain it was marks victory and told seb to stay put. I think there not to fussed tbh, I see it like this, if he wants to stay, they will have him as I Beleive they have already spoken to kimi and he is staying put, so webber is the best option IF he chooses to stay,but if he doesn't, they will just promote vergne or ricciardo as either one of them would play second fiddle to seb, so that's what my interpretation of "the balls in my court" description given by webber himself.

[KoolMonkey 0]

I just can't see Vergne or Ricci getting the drive. Not when Kimi is a potential. They havn't done enough. They are looking for more than a Rubens/Massa schmuck, they are potentially looking for Vettels understudy too. We don't know how much Ferrari are or have offered Seb. Chances are it will be huge, and when the love affair with Mr Monobrow (I forget now it's been awhile, didn't he state he brought 0.5 or something seconds to the team?) ends in tears, that might be the moment Seb signs on the dotted line. By then hopefully he's a 5x WDC or something.

But really, the TDR drivers are not honest candidates for RBR. They aren't going to lose Webber and then Vettel and not have a game plan. As for Webber's one year contracts, that's stupid on his part. It's like he's dating a super hot girl, but is keeping his options open and thus doesn't commit in case something better comes along. He wont' get any better than this.

Ferrari would be good for him, Lotus and yeah great idea McLaren too. Perez won't be there long I don't think, unless it's a love in like the Santander/Ferrari/Alonso affair. So if Telmex splash the cash I guess they will be, but McLaren have never done the pay driver routine, so even with the money, if the results are not there, he won't be in that seat in a few years time.

[radical-one 0]

Good for Mark.

Webber has an offer on the table - Report

http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/view/455637/Webber_has_an_offer_on_the_table__Report/

[Emmcee 0]

Yeah I've read that mate, thanks.