Webber promise to Battle Vettel for F1 Title

Mark Webber promise to push Sebastian Vettel for the 2013 world title when their winner Red Bull team launches its new Formula One car on Sunday. The veteran Australian has had to play second swindle to the all successful Vettel in the past three seasons, in spite of at stages being in argument for his maiden championship.

He has had to compete with recent disapproval from Red Bull's motor sport advisor Helmut Marko, who maintain the 36-year-old can't cope with the title pressure. "I do consider I can have a break at the championship again this year, as I have done in preceding seasons," Webber told journalists at the RB9's launch at the team's English H.Q. in Milton Keynes.

"That is my goal and what I think concerning each day when I get up, and I'm effective hard with the team on doing that.”They distinguish I need 100% supports. You cannot win a world name with only 90, you need 100, and we're going into 2013 with this in place, and I'm relaxed with that."

Team boss Christian Horner, who signed a new multi-year contract last week, reverse Mark Webber to be a nominee although him finishing sixth overall last season -- 102 points behind his colleague. "If we weren't happy with Mark then we would never have signed him to be with the squad for this year," he said.

Supreme Vettel secures victory

Sebastian Vettel took a leading victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, holding off a late charge from Jenson Button whose second place ensured the title hunt will stay alive for at least another round.

Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are now all mathematically out of the running after finishing third, fourth and fifth on the streets of Singapore. Button was the only man to take the fight to Vettel but the champion elect's attentiveness never wavered and he was rewarded with his ninth victory of the season.

He led contentedly from the start of the race, extending his advantage at more than a second a lap through the early stages. He then responded to the possible danger of a safety car period by pulling out a similarly imposing lead at the restart before defending from Button's late charge over the final ten laps.

The McLaren was within 1.7s of Vettel at the chequered flag after pushing hard on super soft tyres and trying to take benefit of back markers. However, closing the gap was one thing while really passing Vettel would have been another challenge completely and in the end the Red Bull never looked under serious threat. Webber was 27.5s behind Button in third, with Alonso another 26.1s down the road in fourth.

Sebastian Vettel deserves title say Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has paid honor to his rival Sebastian Vettel, saying the Red Bull driver deserves to win the world title this season.

Vettel can be crowned this Sunday if he wins and Alonso is lower than third with McLaren's Jenson Button and Red Bull's Mark Webber lower than second.

Alonso said: "He's been the best driver, (with) the best team. They justify to be where they are."

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton added Vettel had been "exceptional this year".

Vettel said he was going to treat the Singapore weekend like any other race.

"So far we haven't won anything," the German said. "(There is) still some way to go, we have to race and do our best.

"It is a long way to the chequered flag. Certain things have to happen, and it reminds me a little bit of the condition we had in Abu Dhabi last year when people came up and gave me another choice every five minutes.

"The target is to optimise our performance. The target has been to protect our title, there is no reason why the target should change."

And Vettel starved of he felt under any extra pressure this weekend because of the championship being so close.

Webber urged to stay up good work

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner hopes Mark Webber's presentation at Valencia is a sign of things to come for the rest of the season.

Webber is second behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the Drivers' Championship, but he has struggled to give the reigning World Champion a run for his money this year. Vettel has won six out of eight grands prix and has ongoing ahead of Webber in seven of those races.

Webber, though, put up a much enhanced display at the European Grand Prix and he rated his third-place finish as "probably the best of the season".

Horner agrees with Webber's sentiments and is pleased that he is starting to bridge the gap to his team-mate.

"It was Mark's best race of the season in terms of his performance on those tyres," Horner is quoted by Reuters as saying. "It's the closest he has been to Sebastian all season. He drove well this weekend. Nobody is taking whatever thing for granted."

Horner is also hopeful that the Australian will continue to improve as he's finally coming to grips with the new Pirelli tyres.

"I hope he keeps building up the impetus from this weekend," he said.

"He's made no covert of the fact he's struggled more on these tyres than Sebastian. I think he's understanding them better now.

"If you look at the time dissimilarity between the guys during the race he was never more than four or five seconds away for 90 percent of the race, which is the best we've seen all year.

"He'll take a lot of self-assurance out of the weekend."

Mark Webber doubts rescheduled Bahrain GP will happen

The Australian, 34, said: "Even though a decision has been made, I'll be highly astounded if the Bahrain Grand Prix goes ahead this year."

Bahrain was due to be the season-opener on 13 March but was called off due to unrest and pro-democracy protests.

Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, agreed generally on Friday to restore the race to the calendar on 30 October.

Webber, writing on his official website, added: "In my personal opinion, the sport should have taken a much firmer stance earlier this year rather than constantly delaying its choice in the hope of being able to rearrange it in 2011.

"It would have sent a very clear message about F1's place on something as fundamental as human rights and how it deals with moral issues."

The government has cracked down hard on resistance activists during 11 weeks of martial law and military trials of mostly Shi'ite dissidents are continuing.

The FIA's choice to reschedule the race - with India moving to a December date - was a move strongly criticised by human rights campaigners and also opposed by teams.

"It's obvious that the parties involved have struggled to reach a choice but sadly I feel that they still haven't made the right one," said Webber.

Bahrain set to learn Grand Prix decision

The Gulf kingdom was planned to host the opening race of the 2011 season but it was called off amid civil unrest.

Bahrain Grand Prix organisers have asked Formula 1's governing body to rearrange rather than cancel its race.

However, driver Mark Webber has voiced opposition, writing on Twitter: "When people in a country are being hurt, the issues are better than sport."

Red Bulls' Webber, third in the driver standings, continued: "Let's hope the right choice is made."

Former world champion Damon Hill has also said that the race should not go ahead, although the president of the British Racing Drivers' Club stated that he was not talking in an official capacity.

"This crisis is an chance for Formula 1 to show it cares about all people and their human rights," said Hill.

"True peace has nothing to do with creating calm through the use of aggressive repression.

"Bahrain has restored order but the methods have been questioned by many dependable journalists and human rights organisations.

"If Formula agrees to race in Bahrain it will forever have the disfigurement of association with repressive methods to achieve order.

"True peace can only be achieved peacefully. The right thing to do, in my view, is to not race in Bahrain until these doubts have been detached."

F1 leader Vettel wins Turkish Grand Prix

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel cruised to victory in the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday, winning ahead of coworker Mark Webber to get bigger his lead in the Formula One standings.

The F1 champion, who has three victories this year, was never in problem at Istanbul Park after starting from the pole for the fourth successive race and winning by a contented 8.8 seconds.

"Throughout this race we had this cushion and were able to act, quite than react," the 23-year-old Vettel said. "We never really had anybody close at the back, which would have been a different situation."

Vettel leads McLaren's Lewis Hamilton by 34 points and Webber by 38.

"I think the day you start to think you are invincible is the day you get beaten, for sure," Vettel said. "There is always someone, at some point, who teaches you a lesson, who gives you a hard time and beats you."

Vettel is even less likely to get approved away after four races, given the championship went down to the final day last year.

"We saw how quickly these things changed last year; it was very close," Vettel said.

Webber ponders F1 future before Turkey

Mark Webber has not lined out finding a new Formula One team if Red Bull don't offer him a new agreement at the end of 2011.

The 34-year-old was widely predictable to retire if no new deal was forthcoming from Red Bull but told Italian newspaper La Stampa on the eve of this weekend's race in Turkey he still has amazing to offer.

"I have my flaws, but I'm strong-minded," Webber said.

"Last year I fought for the title, and I want to go for it yet again When this season ends my agreement with Red Bull will expire.

"If the team doesn't want me anymore, I will have to react to a good question: to hang up the helmet, or to change teams? Let's see what happens."

The Australian will be hoping for a alike drive in Istanbul to his last outing in the Red Bull car when he came from 18th on the grid to finish third in China.

The Turkish grand prix was the scene for Webber's much publicised collision with coworker Sebastian Vettel last year.

Webber was foremost the race when the pair came together as Vettel tried to pass, allowing McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton to grasp a win while teammate Jenson Button came second.

Webber was able to direct his stricken car to a third-place finish but the incident forced Vettel to leave and began the rumour mill about a split in the Red Bull garage between the two drivers' camps which rumbled all year.

Despite that incident, Webber said he was looking onward to returning to Istanbul Park.

Vettel Rolls In Shanghai P1

Carrying the energy of wins in both of the season's first two races, Sebastian Vettel looked every bit as strong in gap practice Friday at Shanghai International Circuit.

Vettel, chasing the rare feat of initial a season with three straight wins, posted a quick lap of 1:38:739 to easily beat out coworker Mark Webber in the sister Red Bull RB7.

Webber, at 1:39:394, was the only other driver to eclipse the one minute, 39 second fence as third-place Lewis Hamilton (1:40:845) was more than two full seconds back of Vettel.

Jenson Button, who reported throughout the practice that his KERS system wasn't working, and Nick Heidfeld finished the top five.

The 90-minute session didn't turn out to Heidfeld's liking, however, as the German stopped his Lotus Renault GP entry on a wet track below overcast, hazy skies.

Heidfeld went over the curbs at Turn 10 and lost power, damaging his car.

Rookies Pastor Maldonado and Paul di Resta also spun, in that order, at different times.

Practice One - Webber sets strong Sepang standard

Mark Webber sent shivers down the spines of rivals here in Sepang this morning as he lapped his Red Bull RB7 1.665s faster than anyone else. Lewis Hamilton got neighboring in his McLaren, but his 1m 39.316s best was light years behind Webber’s 1m 37.651s.

A late improvement put Michael Schumacher third for Mercedes on 1m 39.791s, then came a group of runners in the 1m 40s. This comprised Nico Hulkenberg, once again taking Paul di Resta’s Force India seat for the opening session, with 1m 40.377s, then Pastor Maldonado who was up there all morning for Williams on 1m 40.443s, late-improving Felipe Massa on 1m 40.453s for Ferrari, Nick Heidfeld on 1m 40.525s for Renault, Rubens Barrichello in the second Williams in 1m 40.581s, Fernando Alonso who had one off-track instant in the second Ferrari on 1m 40.601s, Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes on 1m 40.646s, Adrian Sutil in 1m 40.734s in the other Force India, the well-matched Toro Rossos of Daniel Ricciardo and Jaime Alguersuari on 1m 40.748s and 1m 40.770s apiece, Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber on 1m 40.872s and Jenson Button’s McLaren in 1m 40.927s. That’s P4 down to P15 - 12 cars - estranged by just six-tenths of a second.

Jarno Trulli gave Lotus a major fillip with 16th fastest 1m 41.620s, which put him ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who was clearly not looking for lap times in his Red Bull on 1m 41.627s. Sergio Perez was 18th in the second Sauber on 1m 41.642s, then Timo Glock took his Virgin round in 1m 42.154s for 19th with team mate Jerome D’Ambrosio close on 1m 42.540s. Davide Valsecchi made his official F1 debut in Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus, which he lapped in 1m 44.054s for 21st.

Renault were in the wars. After Heidfeld had set the early pace with that 1m 40.525s, his R31’s right front wheel detained due to a suspected brake problem and he limped the entire lap back to the pits from which he did not emerge again. Later, Vitaly Petrov’s attempt to better 1m 47.932s was aggravated when his car was pitched off the road in Turn Nine by what at first appeared to be the breakdown of its front left Pirelli; the Russian, however, suggested that there had perhaps been a brake disc problem which devastated the wheel and precipitated the tyre bang. Heidfeld ended the session seventh, with Petrov 24th.

Webber fine with being the 'underdog'

Having clinched the crown last year, many are predicting Vettel will be the man to beat in 2011 while there are some nay-sayers who reckon last year's title brawl was Webber's one shot at achieving F1's ultimate prize.

The 34-year-old, though, is determined his detractors' comments won't get him down - rather, he says, they'll inspire him.

"I do like to be the underdog to a degree. On the ropes a little bit. And of course there are plans you can use to fire yourself up. But you can only take that so far," said the Aussie.

"Don't worry; I'll be opposing this year again. Very, very hard. And sometimes that will be against Sebastian."

Webber urged Red Bull to bring out their 'A' game as several moments last season, such as their early dependability issues and the intra-team tension between himself and Vettel, played into their rivals' hands.

"There is every reason to suggest we can do well again," Webber told The Telegraph, "but we have learned to deal with convinced situations a little bit better so that we don't help our rivals."

Vettel to stay at Red Bull until 2014

Red Bull have announced on Monday that Sebastian Vettel will carry on to drive for the team until the end of the 2014 season. Last year, at just 23 years-old, Vettel became the sport’s youngest-ever world champion after scoring 10 pole positions, five victories and 256 points in the team’s RB6.

"The reason why I'll stay until 2014 with Red Bull Racing is that I feel very contented in the team," he told Red Bull's official website on Monday morning. "I am proud to be part of the team, and I am proud of what we have archived so far and will attain together in the future."

The German has been supported by Red Bull since 1998 and is a divide up of the Red Bull Junior Team. After spells in Formula Three and Formula BMW, Vettel made his Formula One debut in 2007, standing in for an upset Robert Kubica at BMW Sauber, before securing a full-time Toro Rosso race seat later that season.

During his first full season with Toro Rosso in 2008 he became the sport's youngest winner with a dramatic victory at the Italian Grand Prix. The following year he switched to Red Bull's 'senior' RBR team for 2009. He took four wins that year to finish second in the drivers’ championship, before taking the title in 2010.

Vettel will once again team up with Australian driver Mark Webber in Red Bull's line-up for the 2011 season.

Barcelona day one - Webber sets the normal for Red Bull

Red Bull’s Mark Webber topped the timesheets as the last pre-season test began at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday. Webber’s best time, a 1m 22.544s, was approximately four tenths of a second earlier than the quickest lap from McLaren's Jenson Button in second.

The weather made life difficult for the eight teams in action, with lower-than-expected temperatures and a windy wind hampering their programmes at the Spanish circuit. Most, though, enjoyed productive days, with Webber managing to whole almost 100 laps in the RB7.

Renault’s Vitaly Petrov and Nick Heidfeld broken the day in third and fifth respectively, with Sauber’s Sergio Perez separating the duo in fourth. Force India were in sixth place with Paul di Resta at the helm of the VJM04. The team’s tester Nico Hulkenberg was in act before lunch and ruined the day in ninth.

Seventh slit went to GP2 driver Davide Valsecchi in the Lotus. Valsecchi’s AirAsia team friend Luiz Razia also enjoyed a drive in the T128 and finished in 10th. Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi was eighth, even as Virgin’s Jerome D’Ambrosio was the day’s final runner in 11th.

Testing continues at Barcelona on Wednesday, when Mercedes, Williams, Ferrari and HRT are predictable to join proceedings.

Unofficial Tuesday test times from Barcelona:

1. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:22.544, 97 laps

2. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:22.910, 74

3. Vitaly Petrov, Renault, 1:22.937, 27

4. Sergio Perez, Sauber, 1:24.117, 90

5. Nick Heidfeld, Renault, 1:24.735, 20

6. Paul di Resta, Force India, 1:25.039, 38

7. Davide Valsecchi, Lotus, 1:25.406, 50

8. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:26.004, 48

9. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:26.030, 31

10. Luiz Razia, Lotus, 1:26.723, 29

11. Jerome D’Ambrosio, Virgin, 1:32.060, 57

Webber targets maiden F1 title in 2011

Mark Webber has a maiden Formula One title in his sights to banish recollections of an unbearable end to his 2010 campaign.

The Australian led the crivers' championship for Red Bull for most of the period only to be pipped at the post by team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who secured the title in the final race at Abu Dhabi.

Webber's year was conquered by controversy, as he accused his team of treating him as a "number two driver" and had a high-profile crash with Vettel in the Turkish Grand Prix which cost them both the chance of victory.

But in spite of missing out on the F1 crown, the 34-year-old says he has moved on from the disappointment of his near miss.

"I'm completely over it," he told the official Formula one website. "Life goes on and I don't feel any regret. It was fairly a season. It was an incredible year.

"I lost the championship in the last race and over the whole season no one had a one-race lead over the other guys fighting for the title. I still think I had the chance to be the champion, but I didn't do it because I didn't get the job done on the track.

"Every race was alive. Even if we'd had one more race after Abu Dhabi four guys could have still won the challenge. He (Vettel) did a great job and deserved the championship.

"There been a lot of great moments for me, but of course I didn't get the jackpot. But I am still very arrogant of what happened. I am definitely looking to improve this year."

Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull rage back into the F1 limelight

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber stood next to each other and smiled at the same moment today, which was not forever the case for grand prix racing's new world champion and his team-mate last season, when both drivers went into the final race with a possibility of the title at the end of an internecine battle that had sometimes turned sour and was intended to finish in the young German's favour.

A new season began with the ceremonial presentation of the successor to the Red Bull-Renault that gave the team a clean sweep of the drivers' and constructors' championships. Both men, at opposite ends of their careers, could feel a surge of optimism by what was revealed when they pulled the dust sheet off the descendant to the all-conquering RB6, and again when Vettel ended the day with the fastest time of the field, having hammered the car around 93 laps of the taut little circuit in the semi-industrialised scrubland west of Valencia.

Formula One's new champion dismissed the close-season rumours connecting him with a move to Ferrari. "It's not smart to put too much weight on those things," he said. "In the off-season there are no wheels rotating, unfortunately, but obviously there are still pages to be packed with ink. I said many times I am happy where I am. I feel very relaxed in the team."

Qualifying - Vettel takes vital Yas Marina pole

Sebastian Vettel will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix just where he wants, on pole position after lapping his Red Bull in 1m 39.394s. But the most important qualifying session of the year was a major disappointment for the team mate Mark Webber who managed only fifth place in 1m 39.925s and will be separated from Vettel by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren’s Jenson Button.

Earlier, Hamilton had been fortunate to avoid the contact with Felipe Massa when, after a big slide on his first lap in Q2, he’d had to back off the pace and resumed just as the Ferrari was alongside. The former champion walloped a camera pole, but his McLaren did not sustain any damage and he recovered his momentum brilliantly to lap second quickest before his time eventually left him fifth in that session.

He already held second place as Q3 drew to its close, but trimmed his time down to 1m 39.425s to demonstrate to Vettel that he may yet have a race on his hands on Sunday. Alonso’s late improvement was bad news for Webber. The Spaniard lapped in 1m 39.792s to jump to third, ahead of Button on 1m 39.823s.

Webber will share row three with Massa, who lapped his F10 in 1m 40.202s, while Williams’ Rubens Barrichello’s 1m 40.203s left him seventh ahead of the Mercedes of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg on 1m 40.516s and 1m 40.589s respectively. Like Massa, both suffered in late-session traffic. Vitaly Petrov was 10th for Renault, with 1m 40.901s.

Vettel redefined the ante in Q2 with the fastest lap of the weekend thus far in 1m 39.874s, ahead of the revitalised Button, Rosberg, Webber and Hamilton. Further back, Robert Kubica surprisingly failed to make Q3, taking 11th place behind team mate Petrov with 1m 40.780s in a Renault that still seemed not to be running as well as it did on Friday.

Fernando Alonso has F1 title in his own hands

Fernando Alonso has the championship lead on his side as he aims to clinch the Formula One (F1) world title in a historic finale Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

But in a season of roller-coaster rides for all the stars, Red Bull drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton are also in the frame.

It is the first time in F1 history that four drivers are in the title race ahead of the season-ender.

A simple engine failure in Alonso's Ferrari could for instance open the door for the others, he may be shunted off the track by another driver, make a mistake himself or have yet another negative experience with the safety car as has happened already three times this season.

However, Alonso has a third career title in his own hands as championship leader. He has amassed 246 points from 18 of 19 races, with Webber on 238, Vettel on 231 and Hamilton on 222.

Under the current system, the top 10 drivers get points in a 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 format.

Alonso has done his maths and says 'I just need to finish second. It does not matter who wins in Abu Dhabi if I finish second'.

The Spaniard can also afford third place if Webber does not win, and fourth or fifth if Webber and Vettel do not win.

Webber will secure the trophy if he wins and Alonso comes no better than third. A team order of sorts may be used if Vettel leads from Webber and Alonso in the final lap, as Ferrari also ordered Felipe Massa to let Alonso pass for victory at the German GP.

Jenson Button vows to fight on in F1 title defence

McLaren's Jenson Button says he would not forgive himself if he did not try to defend his Formula 1 crown at the next weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Button, who clinched the 2009 title in the Brazil, trails Ferrari's championship leader Fernando Alonso by 42 points with only 50 points up for grabs.

"It is a long shot but I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I chose not to go for it," said Button.

"I've always said I'll fight until it's mathematically impossible for me."

Alonso, the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel and McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Button are all still in the title hunt with only two races to go in Brazil and Abu Dhabi on 14 November.

Button needs to finish at least second at Brazil's Interlagos circuit and hope other results go his way.

Two-time champion Alonso, who leads the standings by 11 points from Webber, is the only driver who can clinch the 2010 crown in Brazil.

Race - Alonso wins in Korea, double DNF for Red Bull

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso scored one of the biggest wins of his career in a rain-affected Korean Grand Prix on the Sunday afternoon, and a day of total disaster saw neither Red Bull driver finish. Mark Webber crashed out early while running second, and Sebastian Vettel’s engine blew up as he was leading on the 46th lap.

The result puts Alonso into an 11-point championship lead over Webber, 231 to 220, with just two races left.

As dusk fell and the race was just completed before the two-hour cut-off point, what had begun as impending disaster for the Korean race organisers turned instead into a brilliant triumph. But it was edgy. After the rain got heavier just before the start, the race was red-flagged after just two laps had been run behind the safety car. That led to a lengthy delay until it was resumed as conditions got marginally better, but after the restart at 16.05 the safety car continued to lead the field for another 15 laps before racing finally began on the 18th.

Vettel sprinted into the lead from Webber with Alonso third and Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg deposing McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton for fourth. But then Webber spun and hit the wall in Turn 13 on the 19th lap, collecting Rosberg. Out came the safety car again until Lap 24, whereupon Vettel resumed control ahead of Alonso and Hamilton.

After their pit stops between Laps 31 and 32, Hamilton jumped Alonso for second as the Spaniard had a minor delay due to arriving slightly sideways and making it difficult for mechanics to reach the right front wheel, but they were racing under the safety car again after Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi had taken out Virgin’s Timo Glock on the 31st under braking for Turn Three.

As racing resumed on the 35th lap, Hamilton ran wide in Turn One as his front wheels were locking, handing second back to Alonso. And that’s how it seemed likely to stay as Vettel built a lead of 2.7s by Lap 41. But then Alonso and Hamilton began to move in, and going into Turn One on Lap 46 the Ferrari dived inside the Red Bull to take the lead. On the exit to the corner Vettel’s engine blew, and as Mark Webber breathed a sigh of some relief, Red Bull had their head in their hands.

Now it was Alonso’s race to lose, but though Hamilton gave it everything he had, annihilating the Ferrari in the first two sectors, Alonso was able to make it all back in the final one. Towards the end Hamilton dropped back, keeping a badly worn right front intermediate tyre alive, and was 14.9s adrift as a delighted Alonso took his fifth win of the year and his 26th overall.

Webber: I need another win for the title

Championship leader Mark Webber says he must take with another race victory this season as he looks to secure his first Formula One drivers’ title. Webber extended his standings lead in Suzuka on Sunday, but has not won a Grand Prix since Hungary back in August.

“I need to win again in the future,” said Webber after his second-place finish behind Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel in Japan. “I’m very confident I can do that, and that would be beneficial, of course, but also reliability can still yet play a role, many things, circumstances, lots of different things.”

Webber has benefitted from the intense competition in recent races between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren. His consistency - podiums at four of the last five rounds - combined with Lewis Hamilton’s misfortunes, Fernando Alonso’s renaissance and Vettel’s Suzuka win have seen the Australian’s points advantage grow from just five after Monza to 11 after Singapore and 14 after Japan.

“Two weeks ago (my main rival) was Lewis, then it was Fernando - it’s chopping and changing, but the most important thing is that the gap is going the right way,” continued Webber. “I need to keep it like that. We’ve got three races to go and it’s a good result for me.”

Nevertheless, with 75 points still up for grabs from the remaining races in Korea, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, and with five drivers still in contention for the title, Webber knows he can take nothing for granted.

“As we’ve seen this year, five of us are capable of winning races,” he added. “Well, four in the dry - Jenson’s (Button) had a few races in the wet conditions - but in the dry conditions it’s been four of us who can win.”