Red Bull incumbent Mark Webber is “probably going retire in 2012” from Formula One. That’s according to the team’s de facto leader, Helmut Marko, who claims that the squad needs to “find one of our juniors who can replace” the Australian.
Evidently, Marko isn’t Webber’s best buddy, referring to the six-time winner during the revealing interview as “the other Australian”.
Marko, who has earned the moniker “The Human Whip” for his ruthless intervention in the face of poor performances from drivers throughout both the Red Bull and Toro Rosso camps, doesn’t see Webber as a man who will deliver the ultimate triumph.
What confuses matters further, is that Webber is enjoying his best season to date, as far as his points’ tally is concerned, racking up 149 points in eleven races, lying second in the standings. He had 130 points at the same time last season.
Though Webber hasn’t won a race this season, the team has been slipping back into the pack in recent events, with both McLaren and Ferrari threatening to dominate proceedings when the circus resumes activity after the summer break.
The bottom line is that 2012 looms as the Australian’s one and only chance to claim that elusive crown if what Marko says is true.
In twelve months time, Webber will find it almost impossible to land a seat at a top outfit than if he pursued a drive elsewhere now.
We will be treated to fireworks on the track in this instance, as Webber will ignore the calls that will no doubt surface from pitwall to yield to team-mate Sebastian Vettel, regardless of the reminders of his position within the team, unless he wants to leave the sport with a wimper.
Marko, meanwhile, wasn’t exactly praising Webber’s countryman, and apparently now the main Australian in his eyes, Daniel Ricciardo, saying “he must get the feeling” and “has to beat his team-mate” Vitantonio Liuzzi, who Ricciardo incidentally did beat at the Hungarian GP, if he wishes to progress to Toro Rosso and Red Bull itself.
It’s time for Mark Webber to lose the nice guy image, get selfish and drive for himself from now on, as it will define the mark (no pun intended) he leaves on the sport, to display the trademark “Aussie grit” and the time to do this is now.
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