He would be for sure, but the last few years at RBR have shown that Webbo thinks he's a lot better than he is, and that he doesn't like being #2. If he could just shut up and let his driving do the talking, it would be great, but he doesn't.
IMO there is no doubt that Webber is treated as a No 2 backup, if Vettel drops the baton then everybody on the pit wall looks to Webber to pick it up. He is a good No 2 driver and if he leaves now the only way is down. Why, because RB are perceived as being the best at the moment and any other team would be a second best choice. Although i blame the team for its current embarrassing situation, it is almost impossible for a team to produce two race winning cars and support staff. Very few teams over the years have produced that accolade. (forget the early years of F1) Somebody will be favoured with the latest update doesnt matter who they are. Unfortunately Webber has had his day, he is an exceptional driver and still is but he doesnt have the final killer blow in him like a Vettel or Schumacher. I like the guy and he is a team builder or he needs to learn much quicker and be as devious. so the answer to the original poster is "Dont leave Mark" stay put, you will have your day. As the old saying goes. What goes around comes around. Tony
Are there any Aussie mechanics wielding a spanner for Sabrina Tony or something else we don't know? Webber really is an incantation of DC, you know they're good but they never seem to deliver but it just seems to be his starts that are crueling him and it's infuriating. And despite what some people think, he really is as good as he thinks or he wouldn't have been courted by other teams .... and I hate saying this but I think if they had a 3rd car and Hamilton was in it he would mop the floor with both .... I have never had a problem with LH as a driver (except when he runs into the back of parked Ferraris waiting to get on the track!!) but in his early days he appeared obnoxious and "trained" on media buffoonery but now he seems slightly more natural and humble , but that might be just an adjustment from the media
No crystal ball here John but i do agree he is exactly like Coulthard. Just that tiny bit missing somewhere. Life has a habit of kicking you in the nuts if you are too smug, Vettel's day is on the horizon. I would love him to drive for Ferrari, that would make my day, hell i may even watch the race till the end!! Tony
Make sure your TV bill is paid up What was the first race you ever saw ? In one of your posts you said you have been following F1 for 50 years. 85 was my first attended GP but the Suzuka GP where Lauda pulled out and lost to Hunt was my first exposure to "live" F1 via TV. Doing the full circuit when I retire in a few years, always interested in what the long term followers (I hate the term 'old guys') think of the evolution of F1 over the years , personally I think only the coverage and internet have changed the reporting, the dramas were always there (possibly more) but nowadays we have reports from all angles and devoted media in all forms covering it. In the old days this Webber/Vettel thing would have been sorted out behind the garage
Why did Ferrari offer him a contract then ? I like Massa, he should have been WDC except for Glock giving Hamilton the points
Last year's RB was better than the Ferrari and we see how Vettel beat Alonso just oh so narrowly. Vettel is better than Webber just as Alonso is faster than Massa. Nothing new there and of course the Vettel/Alonso duo ends up before the Webber/Massa duo. All fine. However where the difference between Webber and Massa becomes obvious is in their massive points difference. Of course all the Massa fans on here will now come back with a bunch of excuses. Like he was too busy baking cookies for his grand ma etc etc Image Unavailable, Please Login
I first got into motor racing when i was in Italy, as my mum was Italian we spent numerous holidays in Italy and remember being taken to watch a road race with big noisy red cars. That would be around 1963 i think and was smitten by Ferrari As we lived near Brands Hatch the first real F1 event i went was around 63 as well i think, the first race i really remember was 72 when Fittipaldi won. What a driver, it was fairly innocent, mechanics got real greasy spanners out, not a laptop!! What i really liked was the sports car racing around the streets of Sicily and Italy. I think F1 has evolved to keep pace with the modern thinking but is spoilt by to many regulation changes. F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of motor sport and is somewhat dumbed down now IMO. V12's everytime for me, sod the green bit, watch horse racing if you worry about that sort of thing. A friend of mine did the "full circuit" and was glad he did it, but was totally washed out by the time he finished. Good luck I agree, Vettel and Webber should go behind the garage and sort it out amongst themselves. Bet i know who comes out first. Tony
Felipe had an unusually bad year last year, he hardly finished a race but I think most of them were his own fault by mixing it up with other drivers
There are so many disregarded factors (here) involving a number two driver. His car is the guinea pig, and he is the pawn. A good attitude of understanding and acceptance, as well as being a "team player" are expected. Every CEO working with a board of directors knows the dilemma of a number two driver. With the finish line in sight and just about to pass the team mate, you gracefully move over and tell the press all about the virtues of the winning King and that you will personally try harder. It's not easy for the team to get the number one driver to yield in the same manner. His mind isn't in "team" mode.
At leat Ferrari didn't need a sponsor to pay for his place in the team...same can't be said about his team mate...
Bet on the opposite of what he says and you're good. He thought Kubica wouldn't recover. He thought Massa wouldn't recover. Not only did Massa recover but he's faster than before ... much to Newey's dismay Cognitive optimization through accidental neuro cranial restructuring. After the transitional eco-phase, F1 engineering will incorporate bio-engineering which will increasingly blur the distinction between the driver and the driven (the car will also drive the driver), so future F1 designers may indeed regard such accidents as opportunities.
Really? Where is Kubica now? Where exactly is Massa faster than before? Even his fans acknowledge that he has lost speed since his accident.
Webber hasn't got the self confidence to leave RB. RB gave him the wins and deep down he's not sure he can win in another, non-Newey car. Pity. Pete
Did Mark's shrink tell you that, or did Mark tell you that himself the last time he called you for advice? hahaha
You are one lucky dog Being raised in Europe has it's advantages, the long haul from Australia is prohibitive of a father with 8 kids but he did take me to some Tasman series races where I could hear but not see too easily the red cars of my dreams. Although I've had a few V8 Ferraris I must have an old C4 before I leave this world, they epitomise Ferrari for me. And seeing as how RB like promoting sporting events an F1 boxing night with star billing the boys from RB would draw a crowd after this season