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Webber positive over 2012 future

Mark Webber: "This is the best winter we've had" © Sutton Images

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Mark Webber has said that he doesn't plan to retire at the end of the season, and is thinking about his future with Red Bull in 2012.

Sebastian Vettel signed a new contract keeping him wth the team for another three years, but team principal Christian Horner said he was looking for proof of Webber's motivation during this season before discussing a new deal. And after Adrian Newey and a number of other team members secured their futures, Webber confirmed his drive had returned.

"I thought: 'I could see myself doing this a bit longer'," Webber told the Sun-Herald. "I was really hungry for it again. It's not like I'd been struggling for motivation, don't get me wrong, but it was a long year last year. If I can be hungry and have the desire, still want to compete, and turn up and take these guys on week in, week out - yeah [I'll carry on in 2012]."

Webber's optimism is partly based on the fact that he believes Red Bull has never been better prepared for a season than it is for 2011. Over the winter the team amassed some impressive mileage with the new RB7 and the car looked quick over both short and long runs. Webber is expecting an unpredictable race at the season-opener in Australia due to the new tyres and the potential for mixed weather, but is confident Red Bull is in the best possible position to cope.

"We've done a huge amount of testing and a lot of work has gone in to the cars - now we'll put them through their paces at Albert Park and lots of questions will be answered," he said. "It's going to be an eventful weekend, especially as the weather can be a bit hit and miss. We'll learn a lot about the tyres, which will play a huge role.

"I hope I can improve my luck there, as it hasn't been incredible since my first GP in 02. I hope I can get my best result and there's every indication we can do that. This is the best winter we've had - let's hope we can carry it on to into the first event."

World champion Sebastian Vettel said that he is now ready to start afresh and defend his championship with Red Bull.

"It's nice to look back at last year and at what we achieved, but we're all looking forward now and focusing on the new car and season," he said. "It all starts from zero again; we're excited, we've had enough of testing now and we want to go racing again."

While Vettel was looking forward to starting the season, he did warn that the drivers were unhappy with some of the new regulations that have added to their work in the cockpit. The moveable rear wing and the reintroduction of KERS both need operating by the driver, and Vettel told The Mirror that it was an area of concern.

"Most drivers agreed it could be a safety issue," he said. "The most important thing is that the drivers are together, if we all agree on something then we can be very powerful. We can say, 'ok, we are not racing'. That doesn't necessarily mean we will go on strike. We'll try to find a solution with the FIA first."

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