’Leaner’ Webber might stay in 2012 says Horner

Mark Webber will not necessarily leave Red Bull at the end of 2011, his team boss Christian Horner has declared.

After a season of success and also turmoil in 2010, the 34-year-old Australian driver has signed only a one-year contract for this season, saying he wants to gauge his motivation before committing further.

But although the team and Webber were often at odds last year whilst he was locked in battle for the title with his teammate Sebastian Vettel, Horner said on Wednesday that a longer future together cannot be ruled out.

"Mark isn’t approaching this year like this is his final year," he is quoted by the Daily Mail.

"We both agreed to keep his contract on a yearly basis at this stage in his career because it’s important for us to see he’s got the speed, motivation, hunger and commitment.

"So we’ll see how this season develops and obviously as we head towards the latter part of the summer then we’ll start to talk about the following season," added Horner.

The Briton said Webber is "leaner, lighter and extremely motivated" for the 2011 season, which is scheduled to begin in Bahrain next month.