Mateschitz: Drivers will receive equal treatment again

Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz has said that newly-Crowned World Champion Sebastian Vettel will not be handed automatic number one status above team-mate Mark Webber when moving into his title-defending season next year.

Vettel triumphed five times en route to a maiden Formula 1 title this season, with victories coming in Malaysia, Valencia, Japan, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

However, controversy and driver priority gossip was kicked up first when the pair of Red Bulls collided in Istanbul and again when the team handed Webber's new front wing to Vettel ahead of qualifying at Silverstone.

“Sebastian has been an exceptional personality since joining us," Mateschitz told German newspaper Welt. “I had already said that he would be the next superstar of F1."

The Austrian went on to reveal Vettel’s free ability to exit the team, should its challenger not be up to scratch. “As long as we give him a car with which he can win, he will stay at Red Bull Racing," he said. "If not, we would let him go, even if he had committed to us."

However, the 66-year-old stresses that parity will be retained for both drivers: "They will continue to receive equal treatment; Sebastian has to prove himself again next year and we accept that Mark will be trying to make it as difficult as possible for him."