Motorsport: Late developer Webber may follow in Mansell's tracks

MELBOURNE - Red Bull believe Mark Webber's breakthrough grand prix win could spark him into becoming one of the sport's most dominant drivers.

Team boss Christian Horner has compared the Australian to Briton Nigel Mansell, the 1992 world champion who did not win his first race until the end of his sixth season.

After that victory Mansell became a regular race winner, ending his career as the most successful British F1 driver with 31 wins - fourth on the all-time list behind Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.

"He could be the next Nigel Mansell," Horner said.

"I remember when he got his first win - his career took off and it had taken him a long time to get there."

Just last week Horner would not commit himself to extending Webber's contract into 2010.

"He is driving extremely well but the season is only half over so we are not in negotiations yet," he said.

While Webber's German GP triumph secured his immediate future, Horner admitted the team would be built around his brilliant young teammate Sebastian Vettel next season.

"The situation is that both drivers are equipped with absolutely identical material and supported equally," Horner told the Abendzeitung newspaper.

"However with the way Sebastian drives, it is logical for a team to develop its car according to his style. And that will inevitably happen in the [2010] RB6," Horner said.

He added: "Fortunately, Mark has a similar style, which makes the development task substantially easier for the team."

Horner also said the slender championship points difference between Vettel and Webber meant that it was too early to favour one over the other for the 2009 title.

- AAP