Webber's future unresolved

With the deadline for the WilliamsF1 teams to exercise their option to retain Mark Webber gone the future for Mark Webber is still unresolved. For Mark the situation has changed since he originally had signed his contract to join the WilliamsF1 team. Gone is BMW and the team is now again an independent team. Any pay increases that may have been on the cards if the team took up his option may be something the team would prefer to avoid.

There is the possibility that the WilliamsF1 team will let Mark's contract expire and then renegotiate a new one. Part of this negotiation may see Mark face a possible pay cut.

Another part of this uncertainty over his future with the WilliamsF1 team comes from the fact that Mark may have other options open to him bearing in mind that there are several drivers on the move at the end of this season. There has been talk of Mark moving to Renault with the departure of Alonso to McLaren.

Mark said: "We understand the situation the team's in, I think he (Williams) wants to take it (the option) up but now we are in a different situation," he said at Hockenheim. "The original plan's not going to work, we have to work something else."

He added: "We did basically a four-year deal (in 2004) and Monday is the date where we say yes or no.

"It's not no, but it's not yes as it was potentially. But we are trying bloody hard to make it work and I think there's a good chance that we will."

As for where he could end up in 2007 Mark acknowledged that it would come down to where Kimi Raikkonen signed for for 2007. If he moves to Ferrari this would leave a seat vacant for Mark at Renault.

Mark said: "If there is a choice between Kimi and Webber, they'll take Kimi. It's a no-brainer. I've got six points this year. That's the food chain, that's life mate.

"We'll see what happens with Michael (Schumacher) and Kimi, we don't know who is going to Renault or McLaren -- there's seats out there."

As for the option of staying with the WilliamsF1 team it all came down to how he saw the future of the team, especially in light of their signing with Toyota for the supply of the Japanese companies V8 engines.

Mark added: "I've got to look through how I see what's going to happen here in the future. They are a good team, a good bunch of guys. It can't be any worse next year."