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Webber has Red Bull seat 'while he delivers'

Mark Webber has been at Red Bull for six seasons so far © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Christian Horner
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• Mark Webber

• Teams:
• Red Bull

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says Mark Webber will continue driving for the team "while he delivers".

Webber has been signing one-year contract extensions in the latter part of his career, and at 36 years old he is now the oldest driver on the grid. However, despite his age, Horner says that Webber will not be replaced at Red Bull as long as he keeps securing the results that the team needs to continue its recent period of success.

"The last three years have apparently been Mark's last," Horner told Sporting Life. "Yet he has been retained by the team because of what he has done in the car, and again the same rules apply this year.

"We want the strongest pairing and Mark has contributed significantly to our constructors' world championships over the last three years, and even came close to winning his own title in 2010. Mark has been employed by the team to do the best job he can and he knows what's expected of him. There are an awful lot of drivers who would like to be sat in a Red Bull car but Mark is there on merit, and while he delivers for the team he will have that place."

Horner added his belief that Webber can deliver consistently this season, but said he is always harshly judged as he drives alongside "the best of a generation" in Sebastian Vettel.

"The difficulty for Mark is he is constantly judged against a young man in the other car who has achieved so much. What Seb's done in 101 races, with 26 victories, being a three-time world champion, youngest points scorer, pole winner, race winner, is remarkable.

"Mark's being constantly measured against a driver that is, in my view, the best of a generation and that makes it harder for him. But at the same time Mark measures the opportunity of being measured against the best. He has also demonstrated on his day he can be unbeatable and he does just need to string a campaign together, with 19 of those performances."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.