[DYjLN8rF]

Vettel's form, and the promise shown by Red Bull, has convinced the two parties to extend their deal further - with his new contract running until 2011. There is also an option on him for 2012. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77808

Might not be the best move for his future as a F1 driver.

[GuitarLoverBe]

Not many alternatives really. Red Bull arguably reacted the best to the new regulations, they're well funded and after signing up Webber too they have a stable driver line-up.

Plus they're looking at Merc power for next year, and if Newey stays too I'd call it a sensible idea to hang around!

[Cyclicymn]

Another top-Mercedes team? Wow.

[ThisIsOK]

I'm surprised they don't go to Ferrari like STR. It's always seemed like a good engine.

Vettel is wise to stay put. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

[zooworms]

Might not be the best move for his future as a F1 driver.

I'm with you on this one my friend.

No matter which way you cut it Red Bull are a customer team. Only rarely does a customer team outperform their suppliers and even then it is short lived.

It is all too easy to become the forgotten man in this sport and when normal service resumes and Ferrari, McLaren et all return to the front en mass Vettel could become the might of been driver like Jean Alesi.

[DYjLN8rF]

I'm with you on this one my friend.

No matter which way you cut it Red Bull are a customer team. Only rarely does a customer team outperform their suppliers and even then it is short lived.

It is all too easy to become the forgotten man in this sport and when normal service resumes and Ferrari, McLaren et all return to the front en mass Vettel could become the might of been driver like Jean Alesi.

He's already better than Alesi ever was but that's what I thought too.
McLaren are already back in terms of speed and Ferrari will not be pedaling behind the winning guy for to long either.
Also the day Newey decides to call it a day RBR will be done for good.

[zooworms]

.....the day Newey decides to call it a day RBR will be done for good.

Agreed. Newey has been making ever louder grumblings about leaving the sport for years. The new regs have given him something to get his teeth into but how much longer will that fire burn?

This is the problem building an entire team around one man (or in this case two teams) as Williams found to their cost.

[bredkumanfirst]

He's already better than Alesi ever was but that's what I thought too.

Alesi never had the best car

[seosoftseo]

I'm with you on this one my friend.

No matter which way you cut it Red Bull are a customer team. Only rarely does a customer team outperform their suppliers and even then it is short lived.

Before this year I thought in a similar way too - that customer teams will find it difficult to make a decisive breakthrough and teams like RBR will find it difficult to reach ultimate top level (for instance in 2008 factory teams took all Top5 positions as a "proof").

But this view has been changed and the reason IMO is engine freeze. In the past it was usual that factory team gets the newest engine upgrades and customer teams for understandable reasons struggled to keep up. But with engine freeze they don't have such disadvantage. Hence I suppose current era of F1 is the best opportunity for customer teams to shine, provided they have enough budget (they don't have that financial so-called factory support) as they don't have any technical disadvantages.

I don't know about Newey's longterm plans, but I'm optimistic about Red Bull's prospects beyond this season. This confirmation should silence rumours about Alonso-Vettel Ferrari line-up from 2011 onwards for some time.

[adarmaSen]

It's the move I'd be making if I were in his shoes.

[DYjLN8rF]

Alesi never had the best car

Vettel did win only one race out of 3 in the best car.

[zooworms]

In retrospect I have to say I can't think where he might go in the short term.

No seat at Ferrari or McLaren. Renault would be a step down as of this moment in time and Williams couldn't afford him. That leaves a punt on a Toyota or one of the new boys (totally pointless), so a ride in a Newey car can't be bad for next season.

But, if it were me (I wish), I'd have signed a single year extension with options so that I could be available for a Ferrari seat in 2011.

[GuitarLoverBe]

I think it's a sensible move for him. As mentioned, Ferrari and McLaren don't really have a vacancy, and even if they did he'd be on equal footing with his teammate. Who knows, by signing long term he could do what Schumacher did in the 90s and build the team around him, especially if the cost reductions put everyone on a more equal footing.

[seosoftseo]

As Schumacher has been mentioned here, I have to mention that Red Bull starts increasingly reminding be that former Benetton team. In both cases a big company (not a car company for a change!) bought a more or less midfield team (Jaguar and Toleman respectively) and started building it up and improving on a consistent basis, which finally enabled them to reach the top level. Benetton proved to be no fluke and stayed among that so-called Big Four for quite a long time. RBR may establish themselves as a serious team for many years to come as well.

[bahrains27]

the other thing to remember is that he was a red bull kid like lewis was a mclaren kid

Vettel has been supported by Red Bull's young drivers program since the age of 12.

[bredkumanfirst]

Vettel did win only one race out of 3 in the best car.

2 out of three in the best car.



The next Michele Alboreto?

[DYjLN8rF]

2 out of three in the best car.

Feel free to expand on this supposition.

[Mr_White]

what are people harping about here

RBR is easily a top 3 team/car right now and should improve next year. I guess winning races and challenging for the WDC are really not the "best move " for the driver lol.

It is a sensible choice for him' probably financially as well. As long as he drives well, RBR will be a lock for the first 6 spots on the grid and podiums. Add to that a more powerful Mercedes engine and they will be even closer in ANOTHER title run next year. (but the current Renault engine is doing the job IMO)

[bredkumanfirst]

Feel free to expand on this supposition.

China 2009 - best car, RBR 1-2 finish

Britain 2009 - best car, RBR 1-2 finish

[Mr_White]

I think it's a sensible move for him. As mentioned, Ferrari and McLaren don't really have a vacancy, and even if they did he'd be on equal footing with his teammate. Who knows, by signing long term he could do what Schumacher did in the 90s and build the team around him, especially if the cost reductions put everyone on a more equal footing.

err, I think he is on equal footing with Webber. In fact Horner just said so this morning in an interview with BBC. Besides, it's Webber who is leading/beating his teammate right now. RBR will never do what Bennetton and Ferrari did back in the day. In today's racing world and economy, you simply can't build a team around one guy anymore. I think Ferrari themselves proved that you can have 2 highly competitive guys and still challenge for the WDC and win the WDC, while still winning the WCC.

Save Hamilton's mishap in China in 2007, he would have won the WDC and Maclaren pretty much won the WCC without the spygate drama. This year RBR or Brawn are going to win the WDC & WCC and both teams have evenly matched drivers. The only team that is completely built around 1 driver is Renault, and we all know how that is working out for them.