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Home / Sport / Motorsport / Formula 1

Motorsport: Brash Aussie has eye on the big prize

By Eric Thompson
NZ Herald·
1 Oct, 2010 04:30 PM4 mins to read

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If everything goes according to plan, the planets are aligned and the mechanical gremlins get distracted elsewhere, Formula One driver Mark Webber might just win the 2010 F1 championship.

The Red Bull Racing pilot put his marker out at the end of the 2009 season when he won in Brazil and finished second behind his teammate Sebastien Vettel in Abu Dhabi.

This year Webber has come into his own, especially in May winning in Spain and Monaco, followed two months later by winning the British Grand Prix and a month further on taking the chequered flag in Hungary.

From there he's never been out of the hunt for his first world championship and sits on top of the table, 11 points ahead of a resurgent Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton who's a further nine points back.

It's not just those three who will be trying to put their respective cars on pole next weekend in Japan.

Webber's stable mate Vettel is poised one point behind Hamilton - who needs to finish a race to stay in the hunt - with Jenson Button hovering in fifth, four points further back.

With just four races to go it's very tight at the top of the championship table and each driver will have their work cut out to walk away with the 2010 championship trophy.

"It looks like I picked a hard year to win a title.

"It's at the very bottom of the Cornflakes packet but I'm going to do my best to dig it out mate, that's for sure," said Webber.

"I'm going to give it everything I've got and not leave any change on the table and the way it's been for me I wouldn't want it any other way."

Webber's been racing open wheelers since 1994, and Formula One from 2002 and has a wealth of mental fortitude to battle it out over the ensuing months as the title chase comes to a head.

"Three of the top five have won a world championship in the past so they're mentally pretty strong and obviously ready for it. I haven't been there before [world title] but having been around the block a bit more than Seb [Vettel], that could turn out to be beneficial at certain stages in the next couple of weeks.

"I'd rather have the experience than probably not in some ways and it's certainly helped me lead the championship."

It's been a few years since the race for a Formula title has seen five drivers in with more than a fair chance of claiming the bragging rights as the best open wheel racer in the world.

"They've all got strengths and weaknesses and it would be ridiculous to point out one more than another to look out for at this stage.

"Obviously the form is with Fernando who is flying at the moment. But will that continue? We don't know and nor do Ferrari know how that will continue. We just have to clean up and get all we can out of our package," said Webber.

After a short stopover in Australia after the last round in Singapore, Webber heads to Japan for round 16 of the 19-round title chase where the cars roar into action October 8-10.

The Suzuka circuit hasn't been the happiest of hunting ground for the Australian, with his best finish a fourth way back in 2005 with Williams.

"I rate the track as one of the best in the world and we love going there. It's a real driver's circuit and a challenge.

"I've had results there in the past but nothing phenomenal. It's been the same on a number of tracks until I got my hands on this car.

"We learnt a lot about the RB5 car that we could translate to the RB6 and we knew it was going to be a very good car.

"We knew there were a few weak circuits we needed to fill in on. We knew the car was going to be competitive on most circuits this year.

"Now I'm really looking forward to going there and I know what I need to do at Suzuka - and that's to qualify on the front row."


FORMULA ONE CAREER

2002: KL Minardi Asiatech16th
2003: Jaguar Racing10th
2004: Jaguar Racing13th
2005: Williams F110th
2006: Williams F114th
2007: Red Bull Racing12th
2008: Red Bull Racing11th
2009: Red Bull Racing4th

F1 POINTS

* Mark Webber - 202
* Fernando Alonso - 191
* Lewis Hamilton - 182
* Sebastian Vettel - 181
* Jenson Button - 177
* Filipe Massa - 128
* Nico Rosberg - 122

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<i>Pitstop:</i> Crash slows driver

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