Webber encouraged by the pace of the RB5

After testing the 2009 Red Bull, Mark Webber is positive but remains cautious. The Australian, back behind the wheel of an F1 car after breaking a leg, stated that the test car was quite good.

Some specialists claim that the Austrian team could be on the same level as McLaren, Ferrari, and BMW this year. At 32, Webber tries to temper this enthusiasm: “The first impressions of the car are very good,” he stated to the BBC.

« We have work to do. We are not the fastest, but we are certainly not the slowest. We are very optimistic, but it would be suicide to predict anything now. »

The single-seater designed by Adrian Newey and equipped with a newly improved engine by Renault was almost on the same level as McLaren with its MP4-24, even if the latter had 2008 version wings. Webber states that it is obvious that the McLaren is very fast. On Wednesday, he was half a second behind Heikki Kovalainen.

« I will undoubtedly live the rest of this off-season in perfectly normal health conditions, which is very encouraging, » he explained.

« I discovered that I could ride at 100%, which is really quite amazing when you think about what I’ve been through. »