Five way battle at Monza – Mark Webber
Mark Webber of Team Red Bull has predicted that this weekend the Formula 1 world will witness one of the closest fights of the season at Monza in Italy as Mark expects to score the most points out of the top five drivers chasing the title.
It seems as if a low down force package would be required for the long straights of Monza unlike any other circuit on the 2010 racing calendar. Webber is well aware that his team has been struggling for top speed since the beginning of the season and cars such as McLaren and Force India will probably excel as they are using the F-duct that provides considerable difference.
“Of course, it (Monza) is renowned for its many long straights that means a lot of heavy braking, so it can be quite hard on the car. I think we can still do well at Monza. We might have a bit more in the way of opposition - in addition to Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and Force India, who could also be in the mix for the top places”, the Red Bull driver said in an interview.
Webber began his Formula 1 career with Team Minardi in 2002 as a full time driver. The 34-year-old made quite an impression in his very first season by seizing an amazing 5th place with a team that used to finish at the bottom of the standings every year. Team Jaguar were impressed by his performance and they signed this Australian driver for 2003. Webber maintained his momentum and scored a total of 17 points to secure the 10th place in the drivers’ standings.
He stayed with Team Jaguar for another year before joining Team Williams in 2004. Mark was able to score his first podium of Formula 1 career that year also scoring 36 points to secure the 10th place. The Australian stayed with the team until 2006 before joining Red Bull in 2007. But, the following two years weren’t easy for Webber as he wasn’t able to perform up to the mark.
However, Red Bull made some improvements in 2009 helping the Australian secure his first win with them. Mark scored 2 wins, 8 podium and 3 pole positions by the season end to secure the 4th place in the drivers’ standings. The Red Bull driver is currently experiencing his career’s best season as he led the championship before losing to Lewis Hamilton at the Spa Francorchamps.
Mark Webber is currently in 2nd place after finishing 2nd in Belgium. However, he is optimistic and believes that he will win the title. He currently has 179 points in the drivers’ standings with the help of 4 wins, 7 podium and 4 pole positions putting him just 3 points behind Lewis with six more races to go in the season.
Even though Mark is aware that he doesn’t have the strongest car for Monza, he is still confident that he will score some good points and hopefully take the lead in the drivers’ standings once again.
His teammate, Sebastian Vettel agrees with him but he is also cautious about what Monza holds for Red Bull this weekend. "The circuit is one of the most challenging of the season, due to the low down force levels and high top speeds," he said adding “the key factors are low drag and good braking stability. I think it won't be easy for us, due to the long straights, but I'm sure we will do our best and keep fighting until the end”.
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