That Red Bull seat: whose is it for the taking – Raikkonen or Ricciardo?

Future teammates: Kimi Raikkonen (left) of Lotus talks with Sebastian Vettel (right) of Red Bull Racing on the podium following the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix at Hungaroring on July 28, 2013 in Budapest, Hungary. (Getty Images)

It’s a pretty well documented fact: Mark Webber has called time on his Formula One career. The Aussie, who started with Minardi in 2002, will drive his last F1 race later this year at Interlagos, Brazil. Webber embarks on a new journey as he is set to drive for Porsche in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Now, this leaves an empty F1 racing seat; a Red Bull seat at that. Just after Webber announced his retirement, the rumour mills started working overtime and they chucked out three potential candidates for the spot.

1. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso)
2. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso)
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus F1)

After the rears burst at Silverstone and Pirelli brought in the new Kevlar compounds at the Silverstone Young Driver Test, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner fielded Daniel Ricciardo to drive the RB9 for a session.

Ricciardo, who was in a rich vein of form, grabbed the opportunity with both hands and posted impressive times, which seemed to impress Horner and Helmut Marko. Horner also closed one section of the rumour mill when he announced that Vergne was not quite ready for a Red Bull drive yet and the two drivers in the running were indeed Raikkonen and Dan Ricciardo.

Let’s stack it up then:

Kimi Raikkonen

“The Iceman” needs no introduction, and has nothing to prove. He’s the 2007 World Champion and he’s pretty damn quick. And since making a comeback in 2012, he has impressed one and all with Lotus.

Any racing team’s success in F1 – both sportingly and commercially – completely comes down to scoring as many points as they possibly can for every race and finishing high up the Constructor’s Championship. Scoring points consistently is vital in F1 these days, especially to elevated benchmark set by the Red Bull team.

Speaking in those terms, the Finn would be the ideal choice to replace the Australian. He is the most consistent point’s finisher on the grid and along with Sebastian Vettel; Red Bull can rest assured that they will take the Constructor’s every year.

It is a no brainer. This is a championship winning team with the best car on the grid. Why would you pick a rookie who has barely had 50 starts when you can have a former World champion; someone with tons of racing experience?

There were instances, however, when Webber was mistreated and Raikkonen will have none of that. Red Bull cannot have Raikkonen playing second fiddle. He will push Vettel to the limit and the Red Bull chiefs will have to work on their priorities.

Prising Raikkonen away from Lotus – a team who understands him – will be a bit of a task. He is also on a hefty pay package and has justified that race after race. There is no doubt Raikkonen will be nothing but a huge plus for Red Bull but it remains to be seen if will be a good move for him, both personally and professionally.

Prospect: Daniel Ricciardo prepares to drive for Red Bull Racing during the young drivers test at Silverstone Circuit on July 18, 2013 in Northampton, England. (Getty Images)

Daniel Ricciardo

With the way Ricciardo has been performing on race day and at the Young Driver program, the Australian is one for the future. Logically, he should get Webber’s seat; an Aussie for an Aussie.

Let’s not forget, Red Bull brought in Vettel in from Toro Rosso and he’s gone on to become the youngest three-time champion.

All the signs indicate that the 24-year-old will be quick and consistent in the RB10 next year. Yes, he’s a rookie and there’s no guarantee that he will score regular points at Red Bull. But he was more than impressive during his Red Bull test and he has the skin off that Toro Rosso this year.

Ricciardo seems eager to learn and wants to get better all the time. He may not have a podium finish to his name and he has had only 50 starts but let’s not forget, neither did Vettel at a point.

The fact that it might be hard to land Raikkonen, signing an inexperienced but tried and tested youngster is a gamble worth taking. And that fact that the Finn is hard to deal with when it comes to promotional events and marketing strategies – something Red Bull does a lot – it only makes sense to hire Ricciardo.

There is also the age factor to take in. Raikkonen is 33 and could well leave in two years, which wouldn’t stabilise the team. By hiring Ricciardo, Red Bull will validate the existence and usage of their Young Driver Program. And along with Vettel, will have a young core with an eye on the future.

Whatever the choice in the end, Red Bull will still be the team to beat in 2014; their continued domination of the sport won’t end with Webber’s retirement. If it all, it could just make the team even more dominant.