23/08/2013
NEWS STORY
Mat Coch writes:
As speculation continues over who will fill Mark Webber's seat at Red Bull for 2014 team boss Christian Horner has done nothing to clarify the situation.
Last week a story in the German media claimed Daniel Ricciardo would be confirmed at Red Bull this weekend. The announcement was initially confirmed by Helmut Marko, head of the squad's driver development programme, only for the team to back away from it during the week.
Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen are understood to be the two leading candidates for the drive, though Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has also been linked since allegedly making critical comments of the Italian team at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Horner was seen meeting with Alonso's manager over the Hungarian weekend, and while it's understood the discussion centred on Antonio Felix Da Costa, who is also managed by him, there are those who believe Alonso's name may have been mentioned in connection with the vacant cockpit.
"That's for you to speculate," answered Horner when asked by Sky F1 whether Alonso was mentioned during the meeting.
"We're spoilt for choice at the moment," he added, more broadly on the hunt for Vettel's 2014 teammate. "We've got some great options and we're just taking the time to make sure we make the right decision."
However most have ruled Alonso out of the running, with some suggesting it's a negotiating tactic to drive down the cost of any incoming driver.
"We're in a fortunate position where a lot of drivers want to drive a Red Bull car," Horner explained. "Money isn't a factor in this at the moment because we haven't had detailed discussions about finances with any driver. It's a case of getting the right driver in the car, that it's the right combination for us."
While Horner's comments could imply Kimi Raikkonen is still in discussions with the team they are at odds with what Sebastian Vettel told the press on Thursday.
"It's not going to happen," the triple world champion said of Raikkonen's possible arrival. "It's not my decision first of all.
"If I'm happy or not it doesn't really matter but obviously I found out," he added. "It would have been nice in a way, I get along very well with Kimi, I think he's the kind of guy you don't have to fear any politics from the team point of view.
"For me the most important bit is to focus on my job focus on racing and I'm sure the team will find the right guy in future."
For the moment the only official statement from Red Bull is that there will be no announcement this weekend. The cat and mouse games are therefore set to continue for a little while longer, with the publicity minded Austrian outfit more than happy to play along.