Mark Webber maintains he will not retire at the end of the 2012 season – Formula 1 news
Mark Webber maintains that he has no plans to retire at the end of the 2012 season.
Webber was targeted with questions regarding his retirement for the latter part of the 2011 season. The Aussie’s contract with Red Bull ends at the end of 2012 and during the 2011 season Red Bull had hinted at looking at various drivers for a potential race
seat.
Red Bull would be looking to retain Sebastian Vettel at all costs and the German would not want to leave as long as he can drive a dominating car, that leaves Webber in a weak position to hold on to his race seat as he enters the ending phase of his career
or so it seems.
Webber no doubt is a seasoned and a talented driver but Red Bull would be looking for a different driver to partner up with Vettel unless Webber comes up with a significant 2012 performance.
Webber though replied to the media questions about his retirement confidently and said that there has been talk of Kimi Raikkonen replacing him for four years, but that has not materialised.
Webber admitted that things did not go well for him last year and he intends to change that in the coming season.
“Yeah it was a tough start to the year I think, that makes it difficult to roll out of that mid-season and come to [the end] ... but, again, it's those old lessons of operating at this level, you know you just have no choice, you've just got to get back
on the horse, mate, and get on with it,” he said. “Every sportsman or woman when you have a 10-, 12-year career there is absolute moments where you do the travel we do, this is an international sport, your energy levels get tested.”
Webber tested the RB8 in the first pre-season test and the Red Bull camp did not comment much on their new car but the general understanding is that the car is not as complete as the team would have liked. The Aussie would want that sorted out before the
season starts.
Webber will start the 2012 season with the opening Grand Prix held in front of his home crowd in Australia. It might give him the impetus he needs to get a good start to his 2012 campaign.
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