Webber Worried About Alonso and Hamilton
Mark Webber has warned that the tide could be turning in Formula One after Red Bull’s dominant start to the season was tempered by recent wins to Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
Red Bull was almost unstoppable at the start of the season, with Sebastian Vettel winning six of the first eight races. However with Red Bull unable to win the last two Grand Prix, Webber is warning that the McLaren and Ferrari are closing the gap on the championship leading team.
Webber said that he and Vettel had simply been out raced by Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in the previous two races, and he was expecting their team mates Jenson Button and Felipe Massa to also be breathing down their necks at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
“All three teams have shown form. And they have won, simple as that,” Webber said.
“It’s not hypotheticals. They actually have gone out and won Grand Prix fair and square… Fernando in Silverstone and then Lewis (in Germany).
“None of those victories were handed to them, no one was in front of them and then had a technical problem. They were Grand Prix that were won fair and square, so there is real form there, and I think that this weekend, whether it’s three teams remains to be seen, but two could definitely challenge for the victory.”
There will be 24 cars on the starting grid in Hungary, however Webber says only six drivers have a realistic chance of winning the race. (Himself and Vettel, Alonso and Massa, Hamilton and Button).
“Three teams competing for the win would be the maximum,” he said.
“I don’t think we will have four teams fighting it out, but three will probably mean that one of six drivers can win the race.”
While Ferrari and McLaren have slightly closed the championship gap to Red Bull in the last couple of races, Red Bull remain the yard stick in Formula One. Vettel has won six of the 10 races this year, with last week’s German Grand Prix the first time he has finished off the podium this year.
Webber has also been consistent without being able to win a Grand Prix. Webber has finished on the podium in six races this year, while he has finished third in the last four Grand Prix.
“It is better than five fifths in a row,” said Webber.
“But to get the win you need everything to be perfect. Even for second for that matter. To bang out podiums you still need to get a lot of things right, so I am not getting too carried away with a good run of results, but to go to the next step you have just got to tick the last few boxes and just get it done.”
Webber won the Hungarian Grand Prix last year and will be looking to defend his title when the race gets under way Sunday night Australian time.
2011 Formula One Driver Standings
| Position | Driver | Nationality | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | German | Red Bull | 216 |
| 2 | Mark Webber | Australian | Red Bull | 139 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | British | McLaren | 134 |
| 4 | Fernando Alonso | Spanish | Ferrari | 130 |
| 5 | Jenson Button | British | McLaren | 109 |
| 6 | Felipe Massa | Brazilian | Ferrari | 62 |
| 7 | Nico Rosberg | German | Mercedes | 46 |
| 8 | Nick Heidfeld | German | Renault | 34 |
| 9 | Vitaly Petrov | Russian | Renault | 32 |
| 10 | Michael Schumacher | German | Mercedes | 32 |
