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Webber wants backing as F1 title chase heats up
Source: Agencies |
August 31, 2010, Tuesday
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MARK Webber suggested that the time was fast approaching for Red Bull to back him for the Formula One championship over accident-prone teammate Sebastian Vettel.
The Australian extended his advantage over Vettel to 28 points after finishing runner-up in Belgium, while losing the overall lead to McLaren's race winner Lewis Hamilton.
With Hamilton a further three points ahead of Webber in the standings, the 34-year-old clearly felt he was now his team's best bet for its first title.
"McLaren have won many championships, so they have a pretty good trophy cabinet," Webber told a post-race news conference when he and Hamilton were asked if they expected their teams to focus more on them from now on.
"Red Bull have a good trophy cabinet but not one like McLaren's. So it depends on how hungry we are to try and do that. I think it's too early at the moment (for preferential treatment).
"Having said that, maybe there is a different strategy compared to McLaren," added Webber, who triggered a favoritism furore at Silverstone in July when he referred to himself as a 'No. 2' driver.
"I'm not sure. It's still too early at the moment but not far away, I would say."
Standings
Hamilton said he did not think there should be any preferential treatment at McLaren, which has won eight constructor's titles and 12 drivers' crowns over the years as well as 169 races. The 2008 champion's win at Spa cut Red Bull's lead in the constructors' standings to a single point with six races left.
Vettel failed to score in Belgium after crashing into McLaren's Jenson Button, ending the defending champion's race, and then collecting a drive through penalty.
The 23-year-old, who collided with Webber at the Turkish Grand Prix in May while challenging the Australian for the lead in the closing stages, then tangled with Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi and picked up a puncture.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner praised Webber's performance, after a sluggish start blamed on the car's anti-stall device, but made clear that both his men would continue to receive equal treatment.
"There are 150 points still available. The two guys (Hamilton and Webber) have broken away a little bit from the rest of the pack with the other three title protagonists (Vettel, Button and Fernando Alonso) not scoring today," he told reporters. "But it's still too early to be contemplating that. I think all five are still in this championship with the way that the points scoring is, the gap's quite deceptive.
The Australian extended his advantage over Vettel to 28 points after finishing runner-up in Belgium, while losing the overall lead to McLaren's race winner Lewis Hamilton.
With Hamilton a further three points ahead of Webber in the standings, the 34-year-old clearly felt he was now his team's best bet for its first title.
"McLaren have won many championships, so they have a pretty good trophy cabinet," Webber told a post-race news conference when he and Hamilton were asked if they expected their teams to focus more on them from now on.
"Red Bull have a good trophy cabinet but not one like McLaren's. So it depends on how hungry we are to try and do that. I think it's too early at the moment (for preferential treatment).
"Having said that, maybe there is a different strategy compared to McLaren," added Webber, who triggered a favoritism furore at Silverstone in July when he referred to himself as a 'No. 2' driver.
"I'm not sure. It's still too early at the moment but not far away, I would say."
Standings
Hamilton said he did not think there should be any preferential treatment at McLaren, which has won eight constructor's titles and 12 drivers' crowns over the years as well as 169 races. The 2008 champion's win at Spa cut Red Bull's lead in the constructors' standings to a single point with six races left.
Vettel failed to score in Belgium after crashing into McLaren's Jenson Button, ending the defending champion's race, and then collecting a drive through penalty.
The 23-year-old, who collided with Webber at the Turkish Grand Prix in May while challenging the Australian for the lead in the closing stages, then tangled with Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi and picked up a puncture.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner praised Webber's performance, after a sluggish start blamed on the car's anti-stall device, but made clear that both his men would continue to receive equal treatment.
"There are 150 points still available. The two guys (Hamilton and Webber) have broken away a little bit from the rest of the pack with the other three title protagonists (Vettel, Button and Fernando Alonso) not scoring today," he told reporters. "But it's still too early to be contemplating that. I think all five are still in this championship with the way that the points scoring is, the gap's quite deceptive.
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