Webber does not want Vettel to give him gifts
The Australian does not want his teammate to offer him the victory.
By securing his thirteenth pole position of the season, Red Bull’s sixteenth, Sebastian Vettel enabled his team to seize the record for the most pole positions in a single season, previously held by McLaren since 1988. Having clinched the drivers’ and constructors’ titles since Japan and South Korea, the Austrian team is now set to write a new chapter in the history of Formula One by etching its dominance in the statistical records.
The only possible shadow on the horizon, therefore, is the absence of victories for Mark Webber, who is also not guaranteed to finish in second place in the World Drivers’ Championship, thus obtaining the highly symbolic title of vice-champion which would further reinforce the impression of domination by the team based in Milton Keynes. Some suggest the possibility of team orders in favor of Mark Webber, an initiative that seems to have gained traction at Red Bull: « I think that, from the team’s perspective, we will do whatever it takes to help Mark. It’s a conversation we need to have with our drivers, but I’m sure Mark will want to succeed on his own. I’m not sure he wants to be offered anything, but I’m fairly sure that if asked, Sebastian would want to do it » stated Christian Horner, as a prelude to this Indian Grand Prix.
The journalists took the Red Bull team boss at his word and questioned the drivers on the subject during the post-qualifying FIA press conference: “The team talked about it a lot, but not me. I don’t want Sebastian to give me any position until the end of the season, nothing has changed,” declared Mark Webber, confirming his opposition to team orders issued by his team, as was the case earlier in the season at Silverstone.
For his part, without dismissing the possibility, Sebastian Vettel confessed that it would depend on the circumstances: « It’s not the time to worry about such things. First, we have to race, give it our all, enjoy it, and then see where we stand. I think Mark and I obviously want to win the race. »
Mark Webber is currently 13 points behind Jenson Button, who is in second place, but he insists that for him, second place is not the main goal: « Wins matter more to me. » Starting on the front row tomorrow, the Australian is in a good position to be able to aim for it, with or without team orders.
