Mark Webber said there won’t be a “knee-jerk reaction” from Red Bull to the increased pressure from its rivals in recent races.
While Red Bull are unbeatne in qualifying this year, they’ve won just one of the last four races.
Speaking in today’s press conference Webber said: “I’ve been to the factory but there’s no real knee-jerk reaction.
“Obviously, we don’t plan to start having meetings and start planning more stuff any quicker than we probably had envisaged anyway. We know that we don’t take anything for granted, we’ve never done that over the last 18 months.
“We know that people can arrive back very very quickly and hopefully you can go back away again as quickly as they arrived, so obviously Adrian [Newey]’s working very hard with his group of people. Rob Marshall [chief designer], everyone, the guys are working very hard.
Webber played down being beaten by McLaren and Ferrari in the previous race, saying: “We were a little bit off the pace in Nurburgring, not much.
“We challenged for victory but we need to go quicker again, and that’s what we’ve got to work on and address.
“It’s by going racing that you learn about yourself; we don’t learn about ourselves at the factory, we learn about going racing and that’s the most important thing, to react in a positive, constructive way off the back of being beaten fair and square.”
2011 Hungarian Grand Prix
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
MVEilenstein
28th July 2011, 18:12
Voice of reason, as ever.
soundscape (@)
29th July 2011, 5:38
This.
As much as I love F1 and the mid-week dramas that go along with it, these “same old stories” get a bit… well… old.
bosyber (@bosyber)
28th July 2011, 18:15
I guess we’ll see after this weekend how they have done, and if they still feel confident in saying that, even if they would clearly lag, or even if they would have had a fight for the pole, considering their 1.2s lead last year at this point.
BasCB (@bascb)
28th July 2011, 19:21
It will surely be a strong indicator of what to expect for the next few races.
@HoHum (@hohum)
28th July 2011, 18:20
I hope he is not leaving learning about starts till the race.
Todfod (@todfod)
28th July 2011, 18:29
Red Bull genuinely do not have much to worry about. Hamilton and Alonso are title threats by a long shot. Even if Vettel keeps finishing in 3rd or 4th for the rest of the season, he will still be champ, and most probably Red Bull will still win the WCC.
dyslexicbunny
28th July 2011, 18:40
Kind of a non-story here…
Last race before the break. Vettel has over a three race lead on Hamilton. Why bother rushing things?
Do your best this weekend and hope you get lucky at Spa and Monza. Target Singapore to resurge. Gives you two solid months to work out kinks. And if Alonso, Button, Hamilton, and Massa all trade points, it’s even better for you.
Gill
28th July 2011, 18:45
Mark is one driver who talks staright and to the point and I admire him for this quality which is so absent from current crop of drivers like Jenson Button/Lewis Ham and Felipe Massa. One need not hurt others to speak their mind.
patrickl
29th July 2011, 10:06
Like when he said the following about Vettel “It’s kids isn’t it… kids with not enough experience – they do a good job and then they fk it all up.”
Or when he burned down Kovalainen for an accident he himself had caused?
Or maybe when the team takes his new front wing away?
Sure Webber is friendly when he crashes into other people or when he gets beaten, but when he feels wronged he speaks his mind just as negatively as any other racer, or for that matter any human, will do.
John Cousins
29th July 2011, 17:53
I was a little surprised about Marks rant at Kovalainen, but I do see his point. Seriously, how long could he have held Mark up for. Yes it’s Kovi’s job to race but in my opinion he should only “race” against a Williams, Virgin or HRT. The closing speed between anyone alse is a clear danger. I do think that Mark speaks his mind and doesn’t put a “politically correct” spin on everything which is a refreshing change of days where looking good on TV and pleasing sponsors is the norm. The comment about Vettel was pure gold but I guess Vettel has had the last laugh after winning a WDC.
David-A (@david-a)
29th July 2011, 22:16
Mark should have been able to get past someone in a Lotus without crashing though. Alonso squeezed past a Virgin at Monaco, an even tighter circuit.
Robbie
28th July 2011, 19:42
Yep they’re in a position most would envy, and even though they have ‘only’ won one of the last four races, SV has managed to gain 73 points, MW 60, equals 133 for the pair…FA 61 points in the last 4 races, FM 38 equals 99, and LH 49 points to JB’s 33, equalling 82 points. ie. unless FA and LH are about to consistantly take the top 2 spots from Red Bull, I would say that Red Bull are still looking awfully strong, and since I can’t imagine Red Bull giving MW everything he needs to go after SV, I’d say otherwise MW is going to be a thorn in the sides of FA and LH points-wise. They look to be about to spend the rest of the season splitting points between them as it is.
No reason to think SV is not still THE guy to beat…no reason to think he is not still a win-threat every race weekend. FA or LH need to solidly get very very good with their cars at every venue from now on.
Red Bull’s message across the board to all staff should be…stay the course. Stronger competition from the likes of Mac and Ferrari as the season goes along was to be expected. This is nothing unusual or surprising.
David-A (@david-a)
28th July 2011, 20:44
I agree, Red Bull are in an even better position driver and car wise than Brawn were in 2009. Even if Vettel does fade, no-one out of Hamilton, Alonso and Webber will stand out in the way Vettel did with his results in the first 9 races to take the title.
patrickl
29th July 2011, 10:09
Brawn never had much of a speed advantage in 2009. Their car was hardly faster overall compared to Red Bull. Even in the first 7 races they were pretty much evenly matched.
They were simply lucky that Vettel was crashing so often and that he wasn’t able to overtake (when Button was).
suka (@suka)
28th July 2011, 21:22
Sadly RBR is too ahead already but Vettel will get some real beating at least some satisfaction) towards the end of the season and I hope along the way Mclaren, Ferrari and Mercedes develop some dominant packages for the next year.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
29th July 2011, 8:28
No need for RBR to panic at all, whether or not Vettel does is another thing!
Fixy (@)
29th July 2011, 14:36
Before Vettel starts panicking he needs to have more than one negative result, and I wouldn’t call the German result as one. Both McLarens and Ferraris need to beat him before he starts worrying.