Webber insults a journalist in Singapore

This Thursday, during a press conference, a French journalist asked Mark Webber about the frustration he might feel over his teammate’s dominance, causing Webber to lose his temper and declare: “Oh, yeah… I’ll go and hang myself, mate,” before suggesting that the journalist who asked the question was a “fucking wanker.” The Australian, who, according to his statements on Twitter, had a bad night in a hotel still under construction—which is no excuse—apologized to the journalist he insulted, according to various sources.

These statements somewhat tarnished a press conference where the Australian delivered an uncompromising assessment of the current season, starting with the chances his teammate has to clinch the world title at this Singapore Grand Prix: “I think there are a few drivers who would have liked it to last longer, but he has a chance to finish it this weekend. I don’t think it matters when it happens, because it will probably happen; it’s just a matter of which race: here, in Japan, in Brazil, it doesn’t matter,” the Australian driver commented with clarity before conceding: “He had a good year, with many victories and all the others sharing the podiums […]. It’s a completely different championship from last year where there was spectacle, and where the championship was very, very exciting. This season, the spectacle is even better but the championship is very boring.”

For Mark Webber, his teammate made the difference from the beginning of the season with the competition as well as with him: « He had a great start to the season while I wasn’t really at my best in all areas. Obviously, I encountered some reliability issues, which is never ideal, but in the end, I think I was in better shape during the last races, certainly. Unfortunately, when I was leading at the Nürburgring and in a few races like that, we didn’t have the car to win regardless […] Spa was probably the most frustrating race of the year, because I was the fastest in the race but had to deal with a bad start and the safety car. It happens, it’s a missed opportunity, but I think it was going to be difficult for me against Seb this season, given the start of the season he had. »

Mark Webber therefore highlights from this season the show that Formula One offered: « I think the highlight of this season is that there was more of a fight. It might be surprising that someone could dominate in a championship like the one we experienced, and yet Seb did it. But we all enjoyed the competition: the fans, the media, us, it was quite good. »

After a clearly disappointing season, the Australian is now looking towards 2012: « I absolutely need to start the championship better. I need to repeat the season I had last year, outqualify Seb more often, have a better race position, and take advantage of the pit stops. […] Obviously, the full support of the team is needed as well. We both need to have our chance to start on the right foot and make the most of it. We know it’s a very, very technical sport that comes down to a few tenths, and momentum is very, very important. […] This team is starting to gain experience now, we have more experience. I must work hard with the team, and they must work hard with me to achieve the best possible results. »