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Motorsport: In-form Webber earns Red Bull deal

  • Story Highlights
  • Mark Webber handed new contract to stay with Red Bull for the 2010 season
  • The Australian is having his best year in F1, winning his first race in Germany
  • The 32-year-old will again drive alongside German Sebastian Vettel next year
  • He will have metal screws taken out of his broken leg after Hungarian GP
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(CNN) -- Red Bull have rewarded driver Mark Webber for his outstanding form this year with a new contract to race again for the Formula One team in 2010.

Mark Webber has bounced back after suffering a broken leg in Australia last November.

Mark Webber has bounced back after suffering a broken leg in Australia last November.

The Australian is third in the world championship standings ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, having won his first race in 130 starts the last time out in Germany.

With teammate Sebastian Vettel second overall behind Jenson Button, the Austrian outfit are battling to take top spot in the constructors' standings from British rivals Brawn after winning the past two races.

"I'm extremely happy Red Bull and I have been able to agree to race together again next year," the 32-year-old told his team's official Web site on Thursday.

"Even in the leaner and tougher years at the start of my relationship with the team, I've always enjoyed working with them. So now to go through this purple patch, which we hope will continue for a good while to come, makes the work even more enjoyable.

"We've a very exciting finish to this year's championship, but I'm also looking forward to helping to develop and race the car in the 2010 world championship."

German driver Vettel had already committed to another season, making Red Bull the first team to confirm both race seats for 2010.

"I'm delighted we have re-signed Mark for 2010," team boss Christian Horner told www.redbullracing.com. "He has continued to show huge commitment and determination this season, especially following his bike accident at the end of last year.

"His recent results show he is on the form of his life -- most notably with his recent win at the German GP -- and he has the motivation to deliver at the highest level.

"It was therefore a straightforward decision to extend the relationship. We believe the driver line-up of Mark and Sebastian is one of the strongest in the sport."

Webber's form this season, which includes three runner-up finishes and a third, has been all the more remarkable given that he broke his leg in November last year when he was hit by a car during a charity cycling event in Tasmania.

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Webber, who made his F1 debut in 2002 for the now-defunct Minardi team and joined Red Bull in 2007, will have screws removed from his leg during the four-week summer break starting after the race at the Hungaroring near Budapest on Sunday.

He will have further surgery at the end of the season to remove the metal rod which was inserted after the accident.

All About Mark WebberSebastian VettelJenson ButtonRed Bull GmbHFormula One RacingMotorsports

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