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BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 21: Pole sitter Mark Webber (C) of Australia and Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme with second placed Sebastian Vettel (L) of Germany and Red Bull Racing and third placed Lewis Hamilton (R) of Great Britain and McLaren following qualifying for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on May 21, 2011 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Mark Webber should leave Red Bull Racing at the conclusion of the present season.
It was all good and well to say that the likable Australian should hang around in Sebastian Vettel’s shadow for another season, but following the British Grand Prix, I cannot see how this would make sense.
Sunday’s grand prix, won by Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso after a weekend dominated by the intriguing and confusing blown diffuser row, confirmed that Webber is Red Bull’s “number two driver”, period.
For the first time in season 2011, and perhaps for the first time since Suzuka last season, Webber had a more than realistic chance of beating his teammate.
Not if his employers had anything to do with it.
In the closing stages of the race, having passed hometown hero Lewis Hamilton, for third, Webber was bearing down on Vettel at an impressive rate, and an overtake was highly possible.
Then came the relayed message from Webber’s engineer, Ciaron Pilbeam, to hold position, followed ultimately by team principal Christian Horner’s directive to “maintain the gap”.
Webber ignored this, and rightly so, running the German extremely close to the flag, following an unsuccessful attempt for second along the old pit straight two laps from home.
The fact remains that Red Bull didn’t want Webber getting his hands on the second place trophy, and nor will they ever want the Australian to get his hands on any trophy as long as Vettel is looming.
Webber will only win a race this season if some earth shattering event takes place, such as Vettel losing his right index finger to a depraved madman, being locked in the motorhome before the race, or even less likely, having his RB7 fail on him.
The Aussie has been gradually closing the gap to the world champion and current season runaway points leader, but it is inevitable that should Webber be leading a race, with Vettel in close tow, the order will come “Mark, Sebastian is faster than you, do you understand?”
If Red Bull tell Webber to hold position when Vettel leads the championship by 77 points – the equivalent of three victories and a ninth place – then they are never going to allow Webber to enjoy even the most minor of triumphs, in beating his teammate, let alone winning a race.
That is why Mark Webber should, rather has to, leave Red Bull.
If he stays at Red Bull for another season of what he’s been through, the guards at Arkham Asylum may as well prepare a cell and dust off a straitjacket, because Webber will be no doubt insane.
Worse still, it would certainly kill the reputation of Formula One’s fighter, the man who everybody wants to see enjoy success, following the despair of the earlier seasons of his career.
That is why a move to Ferrari, alongside his good buddy Alonso, would be the perfect way for Webber to sign off from Formula One.
What’s more, there’s no reason why he couldn’t compete for at least two more seasons at Ferrari.
Webber would be free of the burden of being the fall guy, and free of being the guy merely warming Daniel Ricciardo or Lewis Hamilton’s seat for 2013, and being the guy who merely fills the cockpit to ensure Red Bull has two drivers on the grid.
Because that’s pretty much how it is.
But at Ferrari, those in charge aren’t people who sit on a beach with no idea what’s going on and call the shots, they know that Mark Webber is world champion material.
There is no question that Alonso would welcome Webber’s presence, and vice-versa, there would be a friendly rivalry between the pair, which is rare in Formula One amongst the big teams, even cracks are appearing in McLaren’s Button-Hamilton combination, so this move makes perfect sense.
They have a lot to learn from each other, Webber’s wisdom coupled with Alonso’s double world champion status, you would struggle to find those traits in a line-up.
Whether this happens is another question, but on paper, there couldn’t be a better outcome.
Webber would leave the sport, whether it is after 2012, or 2013, on his terms, with the same enthusiasm as he did when he was on the grid for Minardi all those years ago in 2002.
Of course, this would necessitate Felipe Massa’s departure, but it could be argued that the Brazilian too has had enough of living in Alonso’s shadow.
A move to Renault, Williams (with the lure of Renault power), Sauber (Ferrari engines – wink, wink), McLaren and even Red Bull – although the latter two would be unlikely, could revitalise his career, and he certainly still has a lot to give to the sport, having technically been world champion in 2008 for a few, fleeting seconds, and most teams on the grid would welcome him with open arms.
This is Formula One, it is complicated, usually when something comes to light, we are left more confused than we already were, there will certainly be more twists to come before this season is out, and this is just one train of thought…
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