Mark Webber offered contract extension with Red Bull

They have won 3 straight WCCs and are right on track for a 4th. Seb has won 3 straight WDCs, why screw with what's working?

Sure Seb and Mark get a little pissy with each other. Doesn't really matter though in the grand scheme

That said, can't wait to see what they end up doing with the 2nd seat now that Mark is retiring.

 

Not so fast, LOL!

 

Told ya

 

Good for him but bad for the sport.

 

I will miss Webber in F1 but I don't think he had anywhere really to go except maintain the status quo.

This is a step up and out for Webber who in his mind can now be his own driver and not just a runner-up.

 

+1 on the first part, but why bad for the sport though? I like the guy, and on his day he can be damn quick. I guess the Aussies will be a little "upset" too.

OTOH, he's had a pretty good run over the past decade or so. Leveraged that "legendary" Minardi debut in Aus into a pretty good career IMO. Almost, but not quite.

I certainly wish him all the best at Le Mans but, it does open up a prime seat for someone else. Kimi seems the favorite (and Seb's on record as saying he'd have no problem with him), but who knows what he'll do!?....

Not a big fan of either of the TR boys. Maybe the car is crap, but neither seem to be "setting the world alight" and hence deserving of that seat right now.

Cheers,
Ian
PS - Anyone know if the WEC calendar for next year is out yet? Will Porsche do all the rounds?

 

Bad for the sport in that we're seeing quality being driven away. I have no doubt that if he had been treated fairly by Seb and the team he would have stayed.

 

Interesting comments - You may very well be correct. As for "quality", there's plenty of it around if you can find it IMO. Again, he's had a good run IMO.

FWIW, he denies Malaysia had anything to do with it;

Could very well be the usual PR spin, but he's always seemed pretty up front to me.

Cheers,
Ian
Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website

 

Ask him.

 

By quality I don't mean speed but sportsmanship. He's standing behind his team even when it does him dirt. Saying the right things and giving them plenty of notice. Another driver would just take the money or leave them high and dry at the last moment.
A class act.

 

+1 to all. Definitely a class act as you say.

Hadn't thought of the possibility of him giving them the shaft late in the year! The F1 link I posted above also has him saying he remains tight with Mr Mateschitz and will remain "in the Red Bull Family".

Cheers,
Ian

 

It might be true but I think it may have more to do with his loyalty to, and appreciation of, the guys on the team who work so hard.

 

Meanwhile, sources close to Webber dismissed claims that the Australian got the drive after answering a classified advert in the Queanbeyan Chronicle.



Cheers,
Ian
pitpass - Porsche confirms Webber signing
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Porsche still makes "Sports Cars"?

 

Ouch!

IIRC, it was the always outspoken Rifledriver that coined the term "Snowblower Motors"



Cheers,
Ian

 

Beg to differ. I think both are doing a nice job. The car is crap as it has always been, what do you expect them to do, win races? They're having a pretty good year.

 

With all the Panameras and Cayennes I see its easy to forget.

 

The worst thing about Webber leaving F1 is that we lose yet another straight talker in the F1 circus. I like Webber as a driver, for the most part, but I like him better as a person, because he isn't afraid to speak his mind. And that's something we have less and less of, in F1.

The WEC is really amazing right now, if any of you have been watching you'll see some amazing racing like we haven't seen in F1 for quite a while.

as far as I know the calendar is not out yet, but I'd expect Porsche to go for the entire championship honors in 2014, not just a few races.

 

+1 as far as 'racing' goes F1 is far from the standard in this world. There is alot to choose from. I hope Webber does well. Maybe we will see him in Stuttgart area.

 

Fair enough. I differ with your differing, but it's all good.

Of course not. But, we don't really know if the car or it's drivers are crap. I'd expect to see one jockey "dominating" the other if there was something "special" in either.

Debatable IMO;

Danny Boy has gone backwards in all but one race where he made up just one position. Total of 7 points and negative 11 positions from qualy to race.

Jools has done a little better; 13 points & positive 14 spots versus qualy.

[Ignoring the two retirements for both]

Not bad, but again hardly setting the world alight IMO.

I could be wrong (!), but I just don't see either as WDC material.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Mark Webber just wants to prove me wrong!

But I cannot see Kimi bowing to Vettel at Red Bull, and I am wondering how Marko would handle the Finn.

 

Kimi isn't well suited to RB PR and its demands on the drivers.
If he were willing to get back into that sort of life he wouldn't have gone with Lotus.

 

I meant why offer him a deal instead of signing Kimi (assuming Kimi is available). Mark was good enough to get the job done but given the choice between him and Kimi it would seem to be a no-brainer.

 

RB PR is more along the lines of entering a jet ski race wearing a gorilla suit. I heard Kimi likes that sort of thing.

I have a feeling he'd fit in perfectly.

 

I hear you, and fer sure he wasn't well suited to the suits from Woking or the corporate BS at the Scuderia, but the Cans still have something of a "fun" reputation..... They may want him to do more "work" than he wants, but I suspect hanging with some of the other Can sponsored dudes may be right up his street - I can see him leaping from balloons, riding bikes & boards etc......

Cheers,
Ian