World champion Jenson Button has no doubts that his McLaren team is going to benefit from the internal troubles at Red Bull Racing.
On the back of the front wing controversy that overshadowed Mark Webber's victory at the British Grand Prix, Button is convinced that Red Bull Racing is going to suffer from the distraction of needing to gets its house in order.
Speaking after his fourth placed finish at Silverstone helped him maintain his second spot in the drivers' championship behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Button said he reckoned divisions in Red Bull's camp were positive for McLaren.
"Yes," he said. "It means they're going to be busy discussing where they're going to go from here. We've got a good relationship here. However much people take the Mickey out of how well Lewis and I get on, it works well with our team and it means the guys back in the factory are not worrying about us and how we are with each other.
"They can focus on making our car quicker. We're not quick enough. We're not as quick as the Red Bulls and we need to focus. But we can concentrate 100 per cent on making our car go quicker and not worry about politics on the circuit between the two drivers."
Button admitted that he had some sympathy for Webber, after the Australian was left fuming that Red Bull Racing took a new front wing off his car and gave it to team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
"I'm proud of the guy," said Button. "He did a good job. Whether the front wing made a difference or not, it was blown up and it's difficult for a driver to go into a race knowing that he doesn't have the same car as his team-mate.
"Even if it didn't make his team-mate go any quicker, he knows that they chose to put it on his team-mate's car and not his. Even if the car's no quicker it still hurts, mentally, so it was a great job from him and he deserved that victory. He did a good job."
Lewis Hamilton has echoed Button's feelings of warmth towards Webber - and said he would never wish to be in the situation that his title rival found himself in.
"I can imagine how he feels," he said. "I wouldn't want to be ... if that was me, sjeez… I asked him earlier and he said don't worry I'm pushing. He's just doing a job. He's doing the talking on the track. And that's what I would do. But it's not nice.
"When you're in a team that you love, people around you, all you want to do is be loved back. I don't know what's going on in the team, or whether we're blowing it all out of proportion. We don't know exactly what's going on. He did say it wasn't right. But he still did the job and that's great for him."
And Hamilton says that the internal trouble at Red Bull has simply served to make him happier about the positive atmosphere he has found inside McLaren.
"It [the Red Bull situation] is not encouraging, it just makes us more proud as a team to see that we're doing a solid job - and that the harmony in our team is good.
"The guys that we're mainly competing with, it seems that we have more harmony in our team and that's why we're leading both championships."
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Showing posts with label Mark Webber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Webber. Show all posts
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Horner regrets not speaking to Webber
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner wishes he had spoken to Mark Webber before the controversial wing swap took place ahead of qualifying for last weekend's British Grand Prix.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit has found itself plunged into a fresh favouritism row in the wake of it taking a new front wing off Webber's car and handing it to team-mate Sebastian Vettel at Silverstone.
Webber was left furious at what happened and, after winning the race on Sunday, he said he would never have re-signed for the team for 2010 if he knew that was how he was going to be treated. He also said on Monday that the victory had tasted 'sweeter' because of the situation.
Horner has moved to try and play down talk of a rift in Red Bull Racing's ranks - pointing out that Webber joined a post-race party with himself and Vettel on Sunday night - but has conceded for the first time that could have handled the matter better for it not to have blown up the way it has.
But he made it clear that he was not simply acting on the wishes of Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz and his motorsport advisor Helmut Marko - who have long been suspected of favouring Vettel.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Horner said: "There has never been any pressure from Red Bull to favour one driver over the other.
"I didn't have a conversation with Helmut or anyone from Red Bull regarding the decision to give Sebastian the wing. It was purely a technical decision, which I discussed with Adrian [Newey].
"My one regret is that I didn't have time to discuss the issue with Mark personally prior to qualifying as I'm sure that would have given him a more balanced understanding."
Horner is due to meet Webber later this week to go through the events of Silverstone and discuss how to move forward - with the Australian making it clear on Sunday that he did not want to be treated like a number two again.
And despite newspaper reports of Webber's mechanics taunting Vettel's after the race on Sunday - which Webber described as 'an appointment with Karma' - Horner insisted there was no rift at garage level.
"It's ridiculous," he said. "Our mechanics are completely for each other, irrelevant of the car crew. That's why we have some of the fastest pit stops in Formula 1.
"There is one team of mechanics for both drivers and all championship bonuses are based on team position rather than driver so there is no favouritism at all."
The Milton Keynes-based outfit has found itself plunged into a fresh favouritism row in the wake of it taking a new front wing off Webber's car and handing it to team-mate Sebastian Vettel at Silverstone.
Webber was left furious at what happened and, after winning the race on Sunday, he said he would never have re-signed for the team for 2010 if he knew that was how he was going to be treated. He also said on Monday that the victory had tasted 'sweeter' because of the situation.
Horner has moved to try and play down talk of a rift in Red Bull Racing's ranks - pointing out that Webber joined a post-race party with himself and Vettel on Sunday night - but has conceded for the first time that could have handled the matter better for it not to have blown up the way it has.
But he made it clear that he was not simply acting on the wishes of Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz and his motorsport advisor Helmut Marko - who have long been suspected of favouring Vettel.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Horner said: "There has never been any pressure from Red Bull to favour one driver over the other.
"I didn't have a conversation with Helmut or anyone from Red Bull regarding the decision to give Sebastian the wing. It was purely a technical decision, which I discussed with Adrian [Newey].
"My one regret is that I didn't have time to discuss the issue with Mark personally prior to qualifying as I'm sure that would have given him a more balanced understanding."
Horner is due to meet Webber later this week to go through the events of Silverstone and discuss how to move forward - with the Australian making it clear on Sunday that he did not want to be treated like a number two again.
And despite newspaper reports of Webber's mechanics taunting Vettel's after the race on Sunday - which Webber described as 'an appointment with Karma' - Horner insisted there was no rift at garage level.
"It's ridiculous," he said. "Our mechanics are completely for each other, irrelevant of the car crew. That's why we have some of the fastest pit stops in Formula 1.
"There is one team of mechanics for both drivers and all championship bonuses are based on team position rather than driver so there is no favouritism at all."
Monday, 12 July 2010
Webber says win made 'sweeter' by row
Mark Webber has admitted that his British Grand Prix victory tasted 'sweeter' because Red Bull Racing had moved to favour team-mate Sebastian Vettel with a new front wing.
Red Bull Racing controversially opted to take a new front wing design off Webber's car minutes before qualifying and put it on Vettel's machine - because his own had broken during the final free practice session.
Although team principal Christian Horner insisted that the differences between the two wing versions were minor, and only affected driving characteristics, sources have revealed that there was both a lap time and a weight difference between the two versions.
The move to change wings left Webber furious and, after his victory at Silverstone, he made it clear to the team that he would not have re-signed for 2010 if he knew that was how he was going to be treated.
Writing on his website on Monday, Webber said there was no way of proving that the differences between the wings cost him pole position - but he was aware of how better his win felt because of the perceived favouritism.
"Whether the gap between us in qualifying was the difference between the two front wings, I don't know," said Webber. "But it was a far from ideal situation and it definitely made my win taste even sweeter."
Webber dominated the race at Silverstone, after taking the lead from Vettel with an aggressive dive down the inside at the first corner.
And although his charge later on was hindered by a safety car period, he actually admitted that he was happy the field had bunched up.
"I was actually quite pleased to see the Safety Car because it closed up the field and meant I didn't have to worry about backmarkers. As the race leader, you always worry that that backmarkers haven't seen you coming and we saw in Valencia what can happen if a faster car stumbles over a slower one.
"Lewis was right on my gearbox at the re-start on lap 31, but I got a clean run out of the final corner and managed to put some daylight between us. On my first flying lap I set the fastest lap of the race, which sent a clear message to Lewis that it wasn't going to be his day."
Red Bull Racing controversially opted to take a new front wing design off Webber's car minutes before qualifying and put it on Vettel's machine - because his own had broken during the final free practice session.
Although team principal Christian Horner insisted that the differences between the two wing versions were minor, and only affected driving characteristics, sources have revealed that there was both a lap time and a weight difference between the two versions.
The move to change wings left Webber furious and, after his victory at Silverstone, he made it clear to the team that he would not have re-signed for 2010 if he knew that was how he was going to be treated.
Writing on his website on Monday, Webber said there was no way of proving that the differences between the wings cost him pole position - but he was aware of how better his win felt because of the perceived favouritism.
"Whether the gap between us in qualifying was the difference between the two front wings, I don't know," said Webber. "But it was a far from ideal situation and it definitely made my win taste even sweeter."
Webber dominated the race at Silverstone, after taking the lead from Vettel with an aggressive dive down the inside at the first corner.
And although his charge later on was hindered by a safety car period, he actually admitted that he was happy the field had bunched up.
"I was actually quite pleased to see the Safety Car because it closed up the field and meant I didn't have to worry about backmarkers. As the race leader, you always worry that that backmarkers haven't seen you coming and we saw in Valencia what can happen if a faster car stumbles over a slower one.
"Lewis was right on my gearbox at the re-start on lap 31, but I got a clean run out of the final corner and managed to put some daylight between us. On my first flying lap I set the fastest lap of the race, which sent a clear message to Lewis that it wasn't going to be his day."
Webber still seething over wing decision
Mark Webber says he would not have signed a contract extension with Red Bull Racing had he believed he was going to be treated the way he was at Silverstone this weekend.
Red Bull has been surrounded by controversy since yesterday after the team decided to give one of Webber's front wings to team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
The decision left Webber clearly unhappy amid accusation of favouritism Red Bull has denied.
The Australian, starting from second position behind Vettel in today's race, went on to take a commanding win, and made it clear he was still angry by telling his team on the radio, "Not bad for a number two driver".
Webber hopes yesterday's situation was a one-off and he claimed he would not have signed a new contract with Red Bull if he had believed he would be treated that way.
"Yesterday was really a unique situation, and it was the first time we had one bit. I would never have signed a contract for next year if I believed that was the way going forward," said Webber after the race.
"I was disappointed. We will see how it goes in the future, I will keep doing what I am doing and I hope it is enough."
"I have had a few hurdles in my career, sometimes privately as well, so I think you can judge a person's character by how they come back from adversity. Some drivers have that, I've had a bit more than others.
"It can work but obviously it is not how long is a piece of string - you have to make sure it is not constantly happening because it can test you too much but if the balance is right it can put some fuel on the fire."
He said the team will sit down and talk things over tomorrow.
"Yesterday I wasn't happy, clearly, and I am sure we will have some pretty decent chats tomorrow. Today went well for me... and that is it," he said.
When asked if today's win was poetic justice, he replied: "An appointment with Karma? Yeah."
"I don't think it should happen, honestly. I wasn't massively in favour of the decision but that is the way it goes sometimes....some of the drivers offered me front wings on the parade lap from their cars but I said stick with what I've got. Seb didn't!
Red Bull has been surrounded by controversy since yesterday after the team decided to give one of Webber's front wings to team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
The decision left Webber clearly unhappy amid accusation of favouritism Red Bull has denied.
The Australian, starting from second position behind Vettel in today's race, went on to take a commanding win, and made it clear he was still angry by telling his team on the radio, "Not bad for a number two driver".
Webber hopes yesterday's situation was a one-off and he claimed he would not have signed a new contract with Red Bull if he had believed he would be treated that way.
"Yesterday was really a unique situation, and it was the first time we had one bit. I would never have signed a contract for next year if I believed that was the way going forward," said Webber after the race.
"I was disappointed. We will see how it goes in the future, I will keep doing what I am doing and I hope it is enough."
"I have had a few hurdles in my career, sometimes privately as well, so I think you can judge a person's character by how they come back from adversity. Some drivers have that, I've had a bit more than others.
"It can work but obviously it is not how long is a piece of string - you have to make sure it is not constantly happening because it can test you too much but if the balance is right it can put some fuel on the fire."
He said the team will sit down and talk things over tomorrow.
"Yesterday I wasn't happy, clearly, and I am sure we will have some pretty decent chats tomorrow. Today went well for me... and that is it," he said.
When asked if today's win was poetic justice, he replied: "An appointment with Karma? Yeah."
"I don't think it should happen, honestly. I wasn't massively in favour of the decision but that is the way it goes sometimes....some of the drivers offered me front wings on the parade lap from their cars but I said stick with what I've got. Seb didn't!
Webber takes commanding Britain win
Mark Webber responded to the Red Bull front wing controversy in the best way imaginable by taking a commanding British Grand Prix victory ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button.
Polesitter Sebastian Vettel's chances of victory were ruined by a first-lap puncture, although he recovered to seventh, and there was further controversy over stewarding decisions after a contentious penalty for Fernando Alonso left the Ferrari outside the points.
Webber made a much better start than his team-mate and reached Copse first, despite Vettel's best efforts to squeeze him. Vettel then lurched off the road at Becketts with a right rear puncture, potentially the result of a slight touch from Hamilton's McLaren at the first corner.
Felipe Massa was also trundling back to the pits with flailing rubber - he had been side by side with his slow-starting Ferrari team-mate Alonso through the first corner and wheel banging at Becketts left the Brazilian with a puncture as well.
Webber therefore led from Hamilton, with this pair rapidly dropping quick-starter Robert Kubica (Renault) in third, who had Rosberg's Mercedes and Alonso all over the back of him.
Pitting slightly earlier than Kubica did not work for Alonso, whereas running a little longer did the trick for Rosberg. Eager not to lose more time, Alonso went down the outside of Kubica into Vale on lap 17, and completed the pass by nipping over the kerbs and cutting the first apex of Club.
He then sprinted away after Rosberg, while Kubica was assured that Alonso would be ordered to let him back through. That became a moot point three laps later though, when Kubica retired with a differential problem.
The stewards therefore ruled that Alonso should take a drive-through penalty, a decision announced just before the safety car came out so that debris could be cleared following contact between Adrian Sutil (Force India) and Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) that left chunks of the latter's rear wing deposited on various straights. With Alonso having to take his penalty immediately after the restart, he tumbled straight to the midfield.
The safety car was a lifeline for Vettel, who had made little progress up to that point, but then started carving through the traffic with a string of spectacular passes, including one on Michael Schumacher. Sutil - who had also put a bold move on Schumacher after the restart - proved Vettel's toughest rival, and it took many laps of tough battling before the Red Bull driver finally muscled through to take seventh on the penultimate lap.
Far away from this excitement, Webber delivered a masterclass at the front of the field. Hamilton managed to tag along until the pitstops, but thereafter Webber was unstoppable, reeling off fastest laps whenever required and leading by 6s before easing off at the end.
Rosberg returned Mercedes to the podium with a strong run to third, despite losing a barge board when sweeping round the outside of the yet-to-stop Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso mid-race. The German finished just ahead of Button, who surged through from 14th to fourth thanks to a great first lap and staying out much longer than most before his tyre change.
Rubens Barrichello gave Williams its second straight top five finish, with Kamui Kobayashi following him home for Sauber's best result of the year.
By the time Vettel was clear of Sutil that pack was too far ahead to reach, so he had to settle for seventh, followed by countrymen Sutil, Schumacher and Nico Hulkenberg.
Alonso's race got even worse when he sustained a puncture in a brush with Tonio Liuzzi's Force India, leaving him 14th, one place ahead of Massa, who needed a further set of new tyres after spinning on the exit of Luffield late on.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS
The British Grand Prix
Silverstone, Britain;
52 laps; 306.747km;
Weather: Sunny.
Polesitter Sebastian Vettel's chances of victory were ruined by a first-lap puncture, although he recovered to seventh, and there was further controversy over stewarding decisions after a contentious penalty for Fernando Alonso left the Ferrari outside the points.
Webber made a much better start than his team-mate and reached Copse first, despite Vettel's best efforts to squeeze him. Vettel then lurched off the road at Becketts with a right rear puncture, potentially the result of a slight touch from Hamilton's McLaren at the first corner.
Felipe Massa was also trundling back to the pits with flailing rubber - he had been side by side with his slow-starting Ferrari team-mate Alonso through the first corner and wheel banging at Becketts left the Brazilian with a puncture as well.
Webber therefore led from Hamilton, with this pair rapidly dropping quick-starter Robert Kubica (Renault) in third, who had Rosberg's Mercedes and Alonso all over the back of him.
Pitting slightly earlier than Kubica did not work for Alonso, whereas running a little longer did the trick for Rosberg. Eager not to lose more time, Alonso went down the outside of Kubica into Vale on lap 17, and completed the pass by nipping over the kerbs and cutting the first apex of Club.
He then sprinted away after Rosberg, while Kubica was assured that Alonso would be ordered to let him back through. That became a moot point three laps later though, when Kubica retired with a differential problem.
The stewards therefore ruled that Alonso should take a drive-through penalty, a decision announced just before the safety car came out so that debris could be cleared following contact between Adrian Sutil (Force India) and Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) that left chunks of the latter's rear wing deposited on various straights. With Alonso having to take his penalty immediately after the restart, he tumbled straight to the midfield.
The safety car was a lifeline for Vettel, who had made little progress up to that point, but then started carving through the traffic with a string of spectacular passes, including one on Michael Schumacher. Sutil - who had also put a bold move on Schumacher after the restart - proved Vettel's toughest rival, and it took many laps of tough battling before the Red Bull driver finally muscled through to take seventh on the penultimate lap.
Far away from this excitement, Webber delivered a masterclass at the front of the field. Hamilton managed to tag along until the pitstops, but thereafter Webber was unstoppable, reeling off fastest laps whenever required and leading by 6s before easing off at the end.
Rosberg returned Mercedes to the podium with a strong run to third, despite losing a barge board when sweeping round the outside of the yet-to-stop Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso mid-race. The German finished just ahead of Button, who surged through from 14th to fourth thanks to a great first lap and staying out much longer than most before his tyre change.
Rubens Barrichello gave Williams its second straight top five finish, with Kamui Kobayashi following him home for Sauber's best result of the year.
By the time Vettel was clear of Sutil that pack was too far ahead to reach, so he had to settle for seventh, followed by countrymen Sutil, Schumacher and Nico Hulkenberg.
Alonso's race got even worse when he sustained a puncture in a brush with Tonio Liuzzi's Force India, leaving him 14th, one place ahead of Massa, who needed a further set of new tyres after spinning on the exit of Luffield late on.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS
The British Grand Prix
Silverstone, Britain;
52 laps; 306.747km;
Weather: Sunny.
Saturday, 10 July 2010
Red Bull defends front wing decision
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner insists that Mark Webber was not 'stitched up' by his team in qualifying for the British Grand Prix, after the outfit was plunged in to a fresh favouritism controversy.
Just three races after Red Bull's handling of the Turkish Grand Prix collision between Webber and Sebastian Vettel prompted suggestions that the outfit was deliberately favouring its German driver, the outfit has again had the spotlight thrown on to it.
This time, it is because the team opted to take a new front wing design off Webber's car before qualifying and hand it to Vettel because his own had broken in the final free practice session.
After Vettel took pole position, Webber was left visibly annoyed in the post-session press conference - and cheekily suggested that at least the team would be 'happy' with the result today.
Horner moved quickly, however, to defend the decision – saying that he felt the outfit had a duty to hand the wing to the driver who was leading the championship. He also suggested that there was no lap time difference between the two designs.
When asked whether the team's move meant Vettel was now officially the favoured driver, Horner said: "I don't think so. I think that you could see today that the performance today between the guys was very, very close and very, very tight.
"Unfortunately we found ourselves in a situation with only one front wing of a certain specification which was slightly different in characteristics. Both drivers tried it yesterday and one had a better preference for it over the other. And it was tried by both again this morning.
"Unfortunately sometimes I have to make a difficult decision – and with only one wing available and the facts to hand that we had, and based on championship position – which was the criteria that we used – that wing went to Sebastian today."
Horner said that if the team was adopting a policy to favour one driver over the other then it would not even have let Webber have the wing in the first place.
"We don't plan to have a scenario like this," he said. "If we were favouring one driver we would give that driver a spare wing as well. We would not run with having two available to one driver.
"We will continue to support both drivers in the best and absolute fairest way that we can. But on some occasions you have to make a difficult decision, and today was one of those instances."
Horner denied that the front wing decision had left the team open to fresh accusations of favouritisms – coming so close after Turkey.
"I don't think so," he said. "Our job is to do the best job we can as a team. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. It is the first time we have been in a situation where we have only had one component, and I am sure that happens up and down the pit lane.
"Obviously when you have two drivers running at the front, there is perhaps a bit more emotion attached to it. But if you take away the emotion and you look at the facts, it was an entirely logical thing to do."
When asked if he had some sympathy for Webber who may felt he had been stitched up, Horner said: "I don't think he was stitched up at all. It is a difficult situation where we haven't got two components. If I'd have given it to Mark you've the same situation in reverse."
He added: "Mark knows the way we operate as a team. He knows that with that decision there was no malice behind it. There was no manipulation. It was purely that we found ourselves with a single component and, from a team point of view, some days I have to make difficult decisions."
Just three races after Red Bull's handling of the Turkish Grand Prix collision between Webber and Sebastian Vettel prompted suggestions that the outfit was deliberately favouring its German driver, the outfit has again had the spotlight thrown on to it.
This time, it is because the team opted to take a new front wing design off Webber's car before qualifying and hand it to Vettel because his own had broken in the final free practice session.
After Vettel took pole position, Webber was left visibly annoyed in the post-session press conference - and cheekily suggested that at least the team would be 'happy' with the result today.
Horner moved quickly, however, to defend the decision – saying that he felt the outfit had a duty to hand the wing to the driver who was leading the championship. He also suggested that there was no lap time difference between the two designs.
When asked whether the team's move meant Vettel was now officially the favoured driver, Horner said: "I don't think so. I think that you could see today that the performance today between the guys was very, very close and very, very tight.
"Unfortunately we found ourselves in a situation with only one front wing of a certain specification which was slightly different in characteristics. Both drivers tried it yesterday and one had a better preference for it over the other. And it was tried by both again this morning.
"Unfortunately sometimes I have to make a difficult decision – and with only one wing available and the facts to hand that we had, and based on championship position – which was the criteria that we used – that wing went to Sebastian today."
Horner said that if the team was adopting a policy to favour one driver over the other then it would not even have let Webber have the wing in the first place.
"We don't plan to have a scenario like this," he said. "If we were favouring one driver we would give that driver a spare wing as well. We would not run with having two available to one driver.
"We will continue to support both drivers in the best and absolute fairest way that we can. But on some occasions you have to make a difficult decision, and today was one of those instances."
Horner denied that the front wing decision had left the team open to fresh accusations of favouritisms – coming so close after Turkey.
"I don't think so," he said. "Our job is to do the best job we can as a team. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. It is the first time we have been in a situation where we have only had one component, and I am sure that happens up and down the pit lane.
"Obviously when you have two drivers running at the front, there is perhaps a bit more emotion attached to it. But if you take away the emotion and you look at the facts, it was an entirely logical thing to do."
When asked if he had some sympathy for Webber who may felt he had been stitched up, Horner said: "I don't think he was stitched up at all. It is a difficult situation where we haven't got two components. If I'd have given it to Mark you've the same situation in reverse."
He added: "Mark knows the way we operate as a team. He knows that with that decision there was no malice behind it. There was no manipulation. It was purely that we found ourselves with a single component and, from a team point of view, some days I have to make difficult decisions."
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Webber not ruling out moving teams
Mark Webber has said he is not ruling out a move to a different team when his Red Bull Racing contract expires at the end of this season.
The Australian now holds a joint championship lead with team-mate Sebastian Vettel after winning the last two grands prix, and has become one of the key figures in the driver market with his current contract expiring at the end of 2010.
Although he admits he is happy at Red Bull, he left himself open to the possibility of moving for 2011, with Ferrari known to have a potential vacancy with Felipe Massa's contract also ending this year.
"I've just won two races, back-to-back, and people are asking me where I'm going to drive next year," Webber said in an interview with The Mail on Sunday.
"I'm very close to the guys at Red Bull, we've been through a lot and I have a great relationship with them. Yet things happen and change very fast in this business and you never know what's around the corner."
Webber expects his future to be decided by the time of the British Grand Prix in July.
"At the moment, I'm only thinking about the next race, in Turkey next weekend. The rest will take care of itself. There are hundreds of points up for grabs and I'm concentrating on the job in hand. I imagine the picture will be clearer in another six weeks or so. But what matters most is I still have a great desire driving me."
He also took time to reflect on his Monaco Grand Prix victory last weekend, admitting that he has been blown away by his achievement.
"It seems a lot of people watch the Monaco Grand Prix!" he added. "I suppose it's amazing because, only three or four weeks ago, everyone was talking about the dream team at McLaren or Michael [Schumacher] doing this or that. But I'm not getting carried away; our sport changes in a flash.
"It struck me that, at that dinner with the Prince, I was part of history. I'll never forget them peeling back the roof of the building for a fireworks display. It was a great conclusion to what had been a unique, dramatic week in my life."
Webber returned to the Monte Carlo track on Monday to take some time to revel in his victory.
"I drove round the track again in my road car looking to see where the rubber was, just taking in the moment," he said. "The last time I'd driven it, I'd been pretty wired! I am not one for the glitz or glamour, but I know how tough it is to win there. A small error and your race is over. I just wanted another look on Monday."
The Australian now holds a joint championship lead with team-mate Sebastian Vettel after winning the last two grands prix, and has become one of the key figures in the driver market with his current contract expiring at the end of 2010.
Although he admits he is happy at Red Bull, he left himself open to the possibility of moving for 2011, with Ferrari known to have a potential vacancy with Felipe Massa's contract also ending this year.
"I've just won two races, back-to-back, and people are asking me where I'm going to drive next year," Webber said in an interview with The Mail on Sunday.
"I'm very close to the guys at Red Bull, we've been through a lot and I have a great relationship with them. Yet things happen and change very fast in this business and you never know what's around the corner."
Webber expects his future to be decided by the time of the British Grand Prix in July.
"At the moment, I'm only thinking about the next race, in Turkey next weekend. The rest will take care of itself. There are hundreds of points up for grabs and I'm concentrating on the job in hand. I imagine the picture will be clearer in another six weeks or so. But what matters most is I still have a great desire driving me."
He also took time to reflect on his Monaco Grand Prix victory last weekend, admitting that he has been blown away by his achievement.
"It seems a lot of people watch the Monaco Grand Prix!" he added. "I suppose it's amazing because, only three or four weeks ago, everyone was talking about the dream team at McLaren or Michael [Schumacher] doing this or that. But I'm not getting carried away; our sport changes in a flash.
"It struck me that, at that dinner with the Prince, I was part of history. I'll never forget them peeling back the roof of the building for a fireworks display. It was a great conclusion to what had been a unique, dramatic week in my life."
Webber returned to the Monte Carlo track on Monday to take some time to revel in his victory.
"I drove round the track again in my road car looking to see where the rubber was, just taking in the moment," he said. "The last time I'd driven it, I'd been pretty wired! I am not one for the glitz or glamour, but I know how tough it is to win there. A small error and your race is over. I just wanted another look on Monday."
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Brabham, Jones back Webber for title
Former world champions Jack Brabham and Alan Jones have tipped fellow countryman Mark Webber to go on and win this year's title judging by his form in winning the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix.
Webber has moved to the head of the title standings following his back-to-back successes, and Brabham and Jones both think the form of the Red Bull Racing driver put him on course to grab the title.
"Mark can win the world championship, I have no doubt about that,'' Brabham told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"It's a great day for Mark and Australia. It's a prestigious race, the hardest and most difficult race in the world and he did not put a foot wrong. I watched all the way through and he was very, very good.
''He is ahead on the world championship now and he deserves to win it. It would be a tremendous thing for Australia and for him. He has all my support and good wishes. I'm proud of him.
"An Australian winning the world championship again would be one of the greatest things I could imagine happening. When you win at Monaco, you can win the world championship. I hope he can do it and I think he will.''
Brabham's views have been backed by Australia's other former champion Jones, who sees Webber constantly improving.
"I think it was fantastic, he whacked it on pole, he did a very good start, he withstood pressure several times on the restart which is always nerve-racking as you are always expecting the guy in second to jump you, so I think he did very well indeed," Jones told the Australian.
"He's just getting better and better. His confidence is building and building and beating Vettel off the line on two occasions will do him no harm at all."
Webber has moved to the head of the title standings following his back-to-back successes, and Brabham and Jones both think the form of the Red Bull Racing driver put him on course to grab the title.
"Mark can win the world championship, I have no doubt about that,'' Brabham told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"It's a great day for Mark and Australia. It's a prestigious race, the hardest and most difficult race in the world and he did not put a foot wrong. I watched all the way through and he was very, very good.
''He is ahead on the world championship now and he deserves to win it. It would be a tremendous thing for Australia and for him. He has all my support and good wishes. I'm proud of him.
"An Australian winning the world championship again would be one of the greatest things I could imagine happening. When you win at Monaco, you can win the world championship. I hope he can do it and I think he will.''
Brabham's views have been backed by Australia's other former champion Jones, who sees Webber constantly improving.
"I think it was fantastic, he whacked it on pole, he did a very good start, he withstood pressure several times on the restart which is always nerve-racking as you are always expecting the guy in second to jump you, so I think he did very well indeed," Jones told the Australian.
"He's just getting better and better. His confidence is building and building and beating Vettel off the line on two occasions will do him no harm at all."
Monday, 17 May 2010
Victories set to secure Webber's future
Mark Webber's stunning back-to-back victories in Spain and Monaco appear to have secured his future at Red Bull Racing, with team chiefs saying they have no doubt that they should keep him on board for next season.
On a weekend when Webber moved to the top of the world championship standings, Red Bull bosses opened talks with the Australian's management about extending his deal - which finishes at the end of this season.
With the form of the RB6 making a seat at the team one of the main targets for any leading driver, team principal Christian Horner has dropped the firmest hint yet that Webber will remain alongside Sebastian Vettel next season.
"I am very happy with the balance and dynamics in team, and there is nothing that we would change for," Horner told AUTOSPORT.
Although Webber himself said at the Monaco Grand Prix that he was in no rush to sort out his future - with his current form making him a target for rival outfits, Horner said he did not expect a lengthy negotiation spell when it comes down to finalising terms.
Should Webber get his new deal, then it will almost certainly mean the end of Kimi Raikkonen's F1 career - with the Finn's only real option for a return being Red Bull.
"We are very happy with the way that Mark is performing," said Horner. "He is an important member of our team and he has got to a stage where, at 33 years of age, we said let's take one year at a time – rather than signing some long-winded agreement.
"It is all down to relationships and how he feels at the end of the day. He is driving fantastically well, he is a very valued member of the team, so when the time comes to sit down and talk about contracts I am sure it will be a very short conversation."
Although it is understood that no contract has been signed, Horner said he expected the matter to be sorted out in the next few weeks.
"Over the last couple of years it has been around the end of May and beginning of June that we begin to talk about things, but with Mark, like all things, it is pretty straight forward," he said.
Webber's second victory in as many weekends moved him and Red Bull to the top of the championship standings, but Horner says the team still needs to keep driving itself to improve.
"Our focus won't change," he said. "We will keep pushing. It is very dangerous in this business to underestimate your rivals.
"McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes are great teams and have great pedigrees and histories, and it would be foolish to underestimate their rate of development and progress.
"We are a small team in comparison, so we need to keep focusing on what we are doing, keep our heads down and try and deliver the kind of performances we have delivered over the last couple of weekends – and the championships will take care of themselves."
On a weekend when Webber moved to the top of the world championship standings, Red Bull bosses opened talks with the Australian's management about extending his deal - which finishes at the end of this season.
With the form of the RB6 making a seat at the team one of the main targets for any leading driver, team principal Christian Horner has dropped the firmest hint yet that Webber will remain alongside Sebastian Vettel next season.
"I am very happy with the balance and dynamics in team, and there is nothing that we would change for," Horner told AUTOSPORT.
Although Webber himself said at the Monaco Grand Prix that he was in no rush to sort out his future - with his current form making him a target for rival outfits, Horner said he did not expect a lengthy negotiation spell when it comes down to finalising terms.
Should Webber get his new deal, then it will almost certainly mean the end of Kimi Raikkonen's F1 career - with the Finn's only real option for a return being Red Bull.
"We are very happy with the way that Mark is performing," said Horner. "He is an important member of our team and he has got to a stage where, at 33 years of age, we said let's take one year at a time – rather than signing some long-winded agreement.
"It is all down to relationships and how he feels at the end of the day. He is driving fantastically well, he is a very valued member of the team, so when the time comes to sit down and talk about contracts I am sure it will be a very short conversation."
Although it is understood that no contract has been signed, Horner said he expected the matter to be sorted out in the next few weeks.
"Over the last couple of years it has been around the end of May and beginning of June that we begin to talk about things, but with Mark, like all things, it is pretty straight forward," he said.
Webber's second victory in as many weekends moved him and Red Bull to the top of the championship standings, but Horner says the team still needs to keep driving itself to improve.
"Our focus won't change," he said. "We will keep pushing. It is very dangerous in this business to underestimate your rivals.
"McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes are great teams and have great pedigrees and histories, and it would be foolish to underestimate their rate of development and progress.
"We are a small team in comparison, so we need to keep focusing on what we are doing, keep our heads down and try and deliver the kind of performances we have delivered over the last couple of weekends – and the championships will take care of themselves."
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Webber: Red Bull has what it deserves
Mark Webber believes only the unusual circumstances in the first races of the season have been the reason why Red Bull has not achieved better results.
But the Australian admits his team has what it deserves after having won just one out of four races despite having the quickest car.
"There has been plenty of [what ifs] but you make your own luck and results at the end of the day and the scoreboard never lies and that's where we are so," Webber told AUTOSPORT.
"It's not as if we are hunting for a lot of pace, we're not off the pace, there has just been a lot of circumstantial things.
"They are the cards we have been dealt with and the decisions that have been made on the pit wall, and all those things together... and in the end there is no rewind button. There has been one race that has gone well for us. The other three races there has been change left on the table.
"Jenson has had two races which came together but there has been a lot of guys that have had rough weekends so far."
Webber also reckons the mixed weather in three out of four races has helped mask some of the problems with this year's regulations.
"Yeah, I think inevitably whenever it rains it mixes the races right up," he added. "Also Lewis's charge from the back in Sepang was highly entertaining - which was good for that race because if we had all started from position it might not have been as interesting potentially.
"I think the F-Duct has certainly helped that as well with the top speed of certain cars, and that has helped make overtaking a bit easier so in a way I hope that continues, but we see some good old changes to regs for spectators because we don't need the Bahrains to consistently repeat, that would be bad.
"Let's hope they don't and the drivers can enjoy the race and so can the spectators."
And while the Red Bull driver admits the 'old days' were more exciting, he is aware that the situation was not sustainable and F1 had to change.
"We always think the old days were better, don't we? I loved it when the cars had V10s, 900bhp and a tyre war. That was great as well. But that wasn't sustainable, then we changed from traction control, then we went to one tyre, then we went to KERS on, KERS off. We do change a lot and that's how it is.
"I still really enjoy driving the cars, it is what it is every year. We have a new challenge for the drivers, it's different skill sets we have to get used to whether it's a heavy car to an empty car at different stages of a grand prix. Sprint races, two-stop, three-stop, four-stop with Schumacher at Magny-Cours one year. As drivers we are constantly having to evolve."
But the Australian admits his team has what it deserves after having won just one out of four races despite having the quickest car.
"There has been plenty of [what ifs] but you make your own luck and results at the end of the day and the scoreboard never lies and that's where we are so," Webber told AUTOSPORT.
"It's not as if we are hunting for a lot of pace, we're not off the pace, there has just been a lot of circumstantial things.
"They are the cards we have been dealt with and the decisions that have been made on the pit wall, and all those things together... and in the end there is no rewind button. There has been one race that has gone well for us. The other three races there has been change left on the table.
"Jenson has had two races which came together but there has been a lot of guys that have had rough weekends so far."
Webber also reckons the mixed weather in three out of four races has helped mask some of the problems with this year's regulations.
"Yeah, I think inevitably whenever it rains it mixes the races right up," he added. "Also Lewis's charge from the back in Sepang was highly entertaining - which was good for that race because if we had all started from position it might not have been as interesting potentially.
"I think the F-Duct has certainly helped that as well with the top speed of certain cars, and that has helped make overtaking a bit easier so in a way I hope that continues, but we see some good old changes to regs for spectators because we don't need the Bahrains to consistently repeat, that would be bad.
"Let's hope they don't and the drivers can enjoy the race and so can the spectators."
And while the Red Bull driver admits the 'old days' were more exciting, he is aware that the situation was not sustainable and F1 had to change.
"We always think the old days were better, don't we? I loved it when the cars had V10s, 900bhp and a tyre war. That was great as well. But that wasn't sustainable, then we changed from traction control, then we went to one tyre, then we went to KERS on, KERS off. We do change a lot and that's how it is.
"I still really enjoy driving the cars, it is what it is every year. We have a new challenge for the drivers, it's different skill sets we have to get used to whether it's a heavy car to an empty car at different stages of a grand prix. Sprint races, two-stop, three-stop, four-stop with Schumacher at Magny-Cours one year. As drivers we are constantly having to evolve."
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Webber: Red Bull blown away in China
Webber says Red Bull was 'blown away' at the Chinese Grand Prix after the team had to settle for a disappointing result having started from the first row.
Webber finished in eighth position, two places behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel, as Red Bull was unable to be competitive in the difficult conditions.
The Australian admitted his team was simply not fast enough.
"We got blown away so it was a very difficult grand prix for us," Webber told the BBC. "We weren't quick enough, simple as that.
"They were changeable conditions but it's the same for everyone, and the car is very sensitive in these conditions if it is not going one way or the other for you. Interesting grand prix.
"We know (where we lose out in these conditions) and we have got to improve it."
Vettel, starting from pole, admitted the result was disappointing, although he reckons the points could be important later on.
"In the end to finish sixth can be quite important, but our main competitors finished ahead so that's not nice," Vettel told the BBC. "It was a very difficult race for us, both of us struggled quite a lot in certain conditions.
"Once we are in clean air our pace was decent, but you know, it is very on/off in these conditions and it is a lot just to maintain track position.
"We need to understand why we were not able, especially out of the restart, why we were not able to be there straight away. We were lacking a little bit of temperatures in the tyre."
The German, under investigation for his pitlane incident with Lewis Hamilton, said he did not understand the Briton's driving.
"I was in a similar track position as he was after the first stop and we found our way through the field," he said. "At the stop you were mentioning I was ahead, I don't know why he was keen to touch me.
"I thought hopefully I don't suffer a puncture after that, don't really understand because I was a bit ahead. He turned out to be a little bit faster on the track anyway so we need to see."
Webber finished in eighth position, two places behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel, as Red Bull was unable to be competitive in the difficult conditions.
The Australian admitted his team was simply not fast enough.
"We got blown away so it was a very difficult grand prix for us," Webber told the BBC. "We weren't quick enough, simple as that.
"They were changeable conditions but it's the same for everyone, and the car is very sensitive in these conditions if it is not going one way or the other for you. Interesting grand prix.
"We know (where we lose out in these conditions) and we have got to improve it."
Vettel, starting from pole, admitted the result was disappointing, although he reckons the points could be important later on.
"In the end to finish sixth can be quite important, but our main competitors finished ahead so that's not nice," Vettel told the BBC. "It was a very difficult race for us, both of us struggled quite a lot in certain conditions.
"Once we are in clean air our pace was decent, but you know, it is very on/off in these conditions and it is a lot just to maintain track position.
"We need to understand why we were not able, especially out of the restart, why we were not able to be there straight away. We were lacking a little bit of temperatures in the tyre."
The German, under investigation for his pitlane incident with Lewis Hamilton, said he did not understand the Briton's driving.
"I was in a similar track position as he was after the first stop and we found our way through the field," he said. "At the stop you were mentioning I was ahead, I don't know why he was keen to touch me.
"I thought hopefully I don't suffer a puncture after that, don't really understand because I was a bit ahead. He turned out to be a little bit faster on the track anyway so we need to see."
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Horner says tyre choice was a gamble
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has praised Mark Webber's decision to run with intermediate tyres after the Australian secure his first pole position of the year.
Horner added, however, that the decision was a gamble that could have backfired.
Webber secured the top spot by 1.3 seconds from Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg, as Red Bull scored its third pole in three races.
"I think cool heads from both the engineering crew and the drivers," said Horner of how the team managed to get Webber first and Sebastian Vettel third on the grid.
"We took a bit of a gamble - that I was happy to take in the final session, where as Mark wanted to go with the inters, which was brave."
"Our spotters were telling us there was more rain due, but it was one of those things that was worth rolling the dice. Both drivers did a great job to finish first and third. The ability to get it wrong today was very high."
Horner also backed the decision to stop qualifying when it was obvious there was too much water on track.
"Absolutely. Both our drivers were immediately on the radio saying they were passengers, out of control, doing a lot of damage. I think the race director and the stewards made exactly the right call in those conditions. The difficulty will be tomorrow in the race if we have similar."
He added: "Every day I've been here it's rained between 4pm and 7pm, it's just a question of when. The chances are it's going to rain tomorrow, it's just when, whether it's before the start of the race, during the race or ideally, just after it. But we're not likely to be that lucky."
Horner added, however, that the decision was a gamble that could have backfired.
Webber secured the top spot by 1.3 seconds from Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg, as Red Bull scored its third pole in three races.
"I think cool heads from both the engineering crew and the drivers," said Horner of how the team managed to get Webber first and Sebastian Vettel third on the grid.
"We took a bit of a gamble - that I was happy to take in the final session, where as Mark wanted to go with the inters, which was brave."
"Our spotters were telling us there was more rain due, but it was one of those things that was worth rolling the dice. Both drivers did a great job to finish first and third. The ability to get it wrong today was very high."
Horner also backed the decision to stop qualifying when it was obvious there was too much water on track.
"Absolutely. Both our drivers were immediately on the radio saying they were passengers, out of control, doing a lot of damage. I think the race director and the stewards made exactly the right call in those conditions. The difficulty will be tomorrow in the race if we have similar."
He added: "Every day I've been here it's rained between 4pm and 7pm, it's just a question of when. The chances are it's going to rain tomorrow, it's just when, whether it's before the start of the race, during the race or ideally, just after it. But we're not likely to be that lucky."
Monday, 26 October 2009
Mark Webber Looks Ahead to Abu Dhabi
Following his emphatic win in Sao Paulo, we asked Mark on his thoughts on the final race of the year and the new venue.
“As usual, the F1 season has been pretty long, but it’s still always good to have the chance to drive the car again, particularly when we’re in our current form. The last race of the year will be very interesting to go to, as no-one’s raced there before and it’s another street circuit – it sounds fascinating.
“I think it will be a good finale to the season and a timely end to the Championship. We’re all ready to start next year now, as the Championship titles are decided.
“I’m expecting Red Bull Racing to be pretty strong in Abu Dhabi. We’ve been pretty strong since Singapore, so there’s no reason to suggest that we can’t be fighting towards the sharp end again, no question about it. As usual, qualifying will be very important on a street circuit and then we’ll see how the race goes from there. We’re looking to finish off on a high for the team.
“I’ve heard the Yas Marina circuit has some nice undulations, which sounds good. It’s got a few fast sections to it and a slow section to finish off. I think it will be pretty dusty, but we’ll clean it up pretty quick; it’s always nice to go to a new track.”
“As usual, the F1 season has been pretty long, but it’s still always good to have the chance to drive the car again, particularly when we’re in our current form. The last race of the year will be very interesting to go to, as no-one’s raced there before and it’s another street circuit – it sounds fascinating.
“I think it will be a good finale to the season and a timely end to the Championship. We’re all ready to start next year now, as the Championship titles are decided.
“I’m expecting Red Bull Racing to be pretty strong in Abu Dhabi. We’ve been pretty strong since Singapore, so there’s no reason to suggest that we can’t be fighting towards the sharp end again, no question about it. As usual, qualifying will be very important on a street circuit and then we’ll see how the race goes from there. We’re looking to finish off on a high for the team.
“I’ve heard the Yas Marina circuit has some nice undulations, which sounds good. It’s got a few fast sections to it and a slow section to finish off. I think it will be pretty dusty, but we’ll clean it up pretty quick; it’s always nice to go to a new track.”
Sunday, 25 October 2009
How I got my body: Mark Webber, F1 driver
17 October 2009, 23:26:00 | Tom Lamont
How I got my body: Mark Webber, F1 driver
Born in New South Wales on 27 August 1976, Aussie driver Mark Webber made his debut in Formula One with Minardi in 2002. After stints with Jaguar and Williams, Webber joined Red Bull Racing in 2007, going on to win his first grand prix in Germany in July this year. He lives in Buckinghamshire with his English partner, Ann.
Staying still is important in an F1 car. If we move around in the seat we're wasting energy. So despite the speeds we go around corners, we have to hold our heads static. The forces we're subjected to during braking are incredible – on, off, on, off.
In terms of the effect on our necks, we experience three or four decent car crashes every lap. If you did five laps with me, and went to the doctor afterwards, he'd diagnose you with whiplash. I go to a clinic and wear a special helmet attached to pulleys and weights, to build up neck strength.
My left arse cheek hurts the most after a race. We brake with our left leg – 60 kilos of pressure, 10 times a lap – and the glutes are a massive part of our stability in the car. Though our seats are perfectly tailored to our arses, the whole pelvis area gets very achey.
I broke my right leg in a bicycle accident last year, and felt lucky. At the scene of the crash [in Tasmania, part of Webber's annual fundraising cycling event] we weren't sure if my left femur was gone too – and if I'd broken that leg I would have been in a lot of trouble because of the braking.
My worst scar is from the French grand prix in 2005. A plug popped off one of the pipes in the cockpit, and the heat basically blowtorched through my fireproofs, through my underwear, and peeled back the skin on my hip. It happened early on in the race and I told my team I was thinking about retiring. They weren't too keen on that. So I did the whole race, 50-odd laps. The crew splashed cold water into the cockpit during pit stops, but that only helped for a lap or two.
I'm one of the tallest drivers on the grid. If I was racing in the 80s or 90s, I would have been in big shit. But the cars have got bigger. I've tried getting into the old F1 cockpits. Can't do it.
I don't really drink alcohol, except champagne on the podium. It's usually warm because it's been sitting in the sun for ages. Otherwise, I eat what I like, when I need to. My weight hasn't changed for 20 years.
In Fuji, a few years ago, I got food poisoning before a race. As we say in Australia, I felt as low as shark shit, and I was sick in the car, right inside my helmet. I didn't finish the race – I got taken out by Sebastian [Vettel, now Webber's Red Bull team-mate] – but vomit wasn't the reason for retirement.
How I got my body: Mark Webber, F1 driver
Born in New South Wales on 27 August 1976, Aussie driver Mark Webber made his debut in Formula One with Minardi in 2002. After stints with Jaguar and Williams, Webber joined Red Bull Racing in 2007, going on to win his first grand prix in Germany in July this year. He lives in Buckinghamshire with his English partner, Ann.
Staying still is important in an F1 car. If we move around in the seat we're wasting energy. So despite the speeds we go around corners, we have to hold our heads static. The forces we're subjected to during braking are incredible – on, off, on, off.
In terms of the effect on our necks, we experience three or four decent car crashes every lap. If you did five laps with me, and went to the doctor afterwards, he'd diagnose you with whiplash. I go to a clinic and wear a special helmet attached to pulleys and weights, to build up neck strength.
My left arse cheek hurts the most after a race. We brake with our left leg – 60 kilos of pressure, 10 times a lap – and the glutes are a massive part of our stability in the car. Though our seats are perfectly tailored to our arses, the whole pelvis area gets very achey.
I broke my right leg in a bicycle accident last year, and felt lucky. At the scene of the crash [in Tasmania, part of Webber's annual fundraising cycling event] we weren't sure if my left femur was gone too – and if I'd broken that leg I would have been in a lot of trouble because of the braking.
My worst scar is from the French grand prix in 2005. A plug popped off one of the pipes in the cockpit, and the heat basically blowtorched through my fireproofs, through my underwear, and peeled back the skin on my hip. It happened early on in the race and I told my team I was thinking about retiring. They weren't too keen on that. So I did the whole race, 50-odd laps. The crew splashed cold water into the cockpit during pit stops, but that only helped for a lap or two.
I'm one of the tallest drivers on the grid. If I was racing in the 80s or 90s, I would have been in big shit. But the cars have got bigger. I've tried getting into the old F1 cockpits. Can't do it.
I don't really drink alcohol, except champagne on the podium. It's usually warm because it's been sitting in the sun for ages. Otherwise, I eat what I like, when I need to. My weight hasn't changed for 20 years.
In Fuji, a few years ago, I got food poisoning before a race. As we say in Australia, I felt as low as shark shit, and I was sick in the car, right inside my helmet. I didn't finish the race – I got taken out by Sebastian [Vettel, now Webber's Red Bull team-mate] – but vomit wasn't the reason for retirement.
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