Are Red Bull looking to replace Webber with either of the Torro Rosso drivers?

Mark Webber of Red Bull Racing could be on his way out. (Getty Images)

Speculation is rife that Red Bull are considering letting Mark Webber leave at the end of the season. After a promising start at the Australia Grand Prix, Webber has slipped up a little, having managed only one podium finish since. Add to that, the relationship that the two Red Bull drivers have shared has been a troublesome one.

The Malaysian Grand Prix saw Sebastian Vettel ignore team orders to overtake Mark Webber only to worsen the relationship between the two drivers. If that was not enough, Vettel did not seem very regretful about the incident and said that he would do it again if he had the opportunity. The Australian has looked unsettled in his seat ever since.

Talking to a German newspaper last month, Team Chief Christian Horner said that it cannot be said who will be driving alongside Vettel next season, as the Australian is no more ‘in the spring of his career’. With the form that the Red Bull team has shown in the past three years, every driver would be desperate to find a seat in the team. Iceman Kimi Raikkonen, who has exceeded expectations with Lotus, has strongly been linked with Red Bull. However, such a move is perhaps unlikely.

On the other hand, Horner has expressed his satisfaction with the progress that Toro Rosso drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo have made this season. “They’re both young, talented drivers, both developing very well. It’s good to see,” he said at Monaco.

“For sure they’re two guys we have a watchful eye over.” This will be an intriguing affair given Vettel’s history at Toro Rosso and his steep climb to the top with Red Bull. One of these drivers can potentially chart the same path and as both of them seem to be contesting with each other for this golden chance.

Ricciardo seems the more aggressive of the two and his 7^th place finish at the Chinese Grand Prix has been the highlight of his season. He also scored some points with a 10th place finish at Spanish Grand Prix. He certainly has the potential but it is unlikely that he would be able to give Vettel a run for his money next year.

Red Bull advisor Gerhard Berger, who also saw over the emergence of Vettel, is of the same opinion. “Red Bull needs two absolutely winning drivers. Whether one of both of these boys have it, we will see in the second half of the season. But now it’s still too early to judge. I think they may need another year of development at Toro Rosso.” As a result he seems to be putting his weight behind the experience of Kimi Raikkonen.

Vergne had a quiet start to the season but picked up pace in the recent races by ending in point scoring positions at Monaco and Canada. He has outscored his teammate on points with an outstanding performance at Canada that saw him finish 6th, but was given a one position penalty. The 23-year-old has been the more promising talent out of the two but his form in the qualifying sessions has been very erratic. It remains difficult to imagine him in a Red Bull car next season, except for a massive performance during the course of the season.

If Red Bull needs a driver who can actually challenge Vettel and not let him have a free ride, Raikkonen would be the most reliable option. But there is no denying the fact that the development arrangement at Toro Rosso will benefit Red Bull in the near future and that their domination of the F1 circuit is likely to continue for some time.