Mark Webber is confident he still can claim the Formula 1 drivers title, and in comments on his official site it seems he has one target in mind: Fernando Alonso.
Not a mention of the other drivers still in the hunt, including his team mate, Sebastian Vettel. Right focus on Mark’s part or subtle mind games to Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and — probably to a lesser extent — Jenson Button? You be the judge:
“It was very disappointing not to finish the race,†says Mark. “The track conditions were treacherous due to the rain and I crashed at the exit of Turn 12. I lost the rear of the car on a kerb; it was 100 percent my fault and that’s the end of it. The only thing to do now is move on to the next race.â€
“We had a fantastic fight on Saturday afternoon,†says Mark. “It was nip and tuck throughout qualifying: he was quicker than me in Q1, I beat him in Q2 and he then took pole by 0.074s. That tiny margin would have given Seb a massive advantage in the race if it had remained dry because the clean side of the grid had much more grip than the dirty side. As a result, I was relieved to wake up on Sunday morning and see rain coming down because it cleaned the asphalt and levelled the playing field.â€
[snip]
“It was an enjoyable track to drive,†says Mark. “It had three very distinct sectors: long straights in Sector 1, some fast changes of direction in Sector 2 and some tighter corners in Sector 3. It was also a good technical challenge because we weren’t using maximum levels of downforce due to the long straights at the start of the lap.
“The organisers were also very accommodating. We suggested a couple of changes to the kerbs at the drivers’ briefing on Friday and the changes had been made by Saturday morning.â€
[snip]
“It was a pretty extraordinary race,†says Mark, “and it’s closed things up at the top of the world championship. But I absolutely believe that I can win the title. The RB6 is a great car and I’m going to relish these last two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. To be racing against guys of Fernando’s calibre is very rewarding and beating them is what sport at this level is all about.â€
So, it’s natural his focus would be on the guy now ahead of him, especially since Alonso is on a solid run of success these past few weeks. But the more ecumenical comment would have included Vettel and Hamilton. A purposeful and calculated exclusion? Or just the natural way Webber would be focused now?
Contrast it to his last post-race website post. Remember? It included this: “I couldn’t let Seb take the triple crown, could I?”
