Webber’s Shanghai slide!

POSTED ON April 18th, 2010

Changeable weather conditions turned today’s Chinese Grand Prix into a lottery, at the end of which Mark crossed the finish line in eighth place. It was his fourth consecutive points finish of the year, but it was much less than he deserved after starting the race on the front row of the grid.

“It was a very tough day for us,” says Mark. “Had it remained dry, I’m sure it would have been a pretty straightforward race for Sebastian and me because the RB6 was very quick around the Shanghai circuit. But the weather was changeable and we went backwards from where we started because the balance of the car went away in the wet.”

The start of the race was in fact dry and Mark got the jump on polesitter Sebastian Vettel, but they were both headed into Turn 1 by Fernando Alonso. The Ferrari driver jumped the start from third on the grid and he was subsequently given a drive-through penalty, so the Red Bulls were technically first and second.

But midway through the opening lap, the Safety Car was deployed following a midfield accident and rain started to fall. “I had a good discussion with the team about the weather and we decided to pit for intermediate tyres immediately. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of time at this first stop because I hit the front jack and damaged both my front wing and the jack, which meant it couldn’t service the car properly. It resulted in me being stationary for 14 seconds instead of five.”

While Mark was stationary in the pitlane, the likes of Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica stayed on slick tyres, and that decision proved to be a masterstroke when the rain turned out not to be as severe as expected. Mark, Sebastian, Hamilton and many others had to pit for dry tyres on lap six, by which time Button was miles up the road.

A second Safety Car was deployed on lap 21, by which time Mark was up to ninth. But he lost a lot of time and positions at the re-start. “Jenson backed up the field before the re-start and everyone started dive-bombing each other,” says Mark. “Lewis hit me as we went though the last corner, pushing me wide. The Astroturf was very wet, so I had to go onto the asphalt beyond it and I’d lost six positions by the time I was back on the racetrack.

“Thereafter, I was quick in the wrong areas: the car was good through the middle sector, but I struggled a lot through turns 12 and 13, which are very important part of the lap because they lead onto the long back straight.” Mark made a fourth and final pitstop on lap 35, but this final set of intermediates went away quickly and by the end of the race they were completely shot. “It was like driving a Formula Ford,” says Mark. “I had no grip at all. Michael Schumacher and I were having a competition over who could drive the slowest – which he won – and Vitaly Petrov got passed me with just a couple of laps to go.

“It was very frustrating and the bottom line is that neither Seb nor I was quick enough on the intermediates. Lewis Hamilton had a very similar strategy to us throughout the race and he finished on the podium, so it was possible get a decent result with four pitstops.”

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jason knott POSTED May 08th, 2010

P1 you beauty. My dad, brother and I can’t wait for sunday night. Wish we were in spain with you mate. Maybe one of us on each wheel to give you a 2.8 sec stop. Get out in front and leave em in ur vapour trail. Jason knott

Phill J POSTED May 08th, 2010

Hope all goes well in Spain and Monaco.
We’ll be at Monaco to support and cheer your Win hopefully

Andrew Porrelli POSTED April 29th, 2010

What can you say,Murphys law When it can go wrong & how!! Bad luck bud,keep ur chin up!& go get em!!!

tony callander POSTED April 25th, 2010

A hard drive compounded by some questionable decisions but as always Mark you put in. However luck is made and i am sure in Spain a turn around will eventuate. I think you need to have Lewis’ connections the press and the stewards its seems just love him and overlook his little spoilt boy tantrums and doggy driving tactics as in pit lane in China and at the restart and similarly in Malaysia Go get them in Spain

James K POSTED April 24th, 2010

Congrats on a great start to the race Mark!! What I don’t get is how Hamilton can bump you off the circuit without any penalty for it and go on to podium while your race is shot to bits… Congrats on the early stop for the last inters. Sure Petrov got you at the end but I doubt you’d have scored any points otherwise!

richard bartlett POSTED April 23rd, 2010

Mark, we know you’ve got the talent and the speed, now you have the machinery to achieve the ultimate goal,still heaps of points up for grabs over a long season,
we no you can do it,
Go Ausie Go!!!!!

Steve Potter POSTED April 21st, 2010

Now i dont mind Jenson, but shit things just fall that blokes way. He should hit the casino. Mark, you the exact opposite, everything youve ever got youve had to bust your balls for. Maybe you just need to take a more relaxed approach? I dont know man but i feel your pain and just need to see a win, and some promise for the championship, im concerned as to how many more opportunities you may have. smash’em in Spain

3 Amigos POSTED April 21st, 2010

OH DEAR!I AM SURE THAT YOUR SONG WILL BE RESURRECTED IN THE MANY YEARS TO COME!THIS SONG MUST BE FOR SOMEONE VERY SPECIAL!!!

reyhan POSTED April 21st, 2010

after the safety car webber out from the track afer pressed by hamilton….i had webber can get better result on spain…
good luck webber

Robyn POSTED April 20th, 2010

It was a bugger that the strategy didn’t work out, and that you got rooted at the restart after Button bottled up the field. Still, as always, completely masterful driving, especially on bald inters on a wet track – seeing an F1 car drift is definitely not an everyday occurence but you handled it like a true pro. Can’t wait til the next race!

aussie grit fan POSTED April 20th, 2010

Did I miss something Mr Jenkin? I thought Mr Webber planted his car on pole in the wet in Malaysia, won Nurburgring in tricky conditions and was on pole fuel-oorrected for Brazil last year in atrocious weather. I don’t think he’s suddenly forgotten how to drive in the wet based on China – just maybe it was the car as the team and both drivers have said. If he has though, then a certain Mr Schumacher is just as guilty! As for MW losing pride, what planet are you on? It shows just how very little you know about him!!!

Ivan POSTED April 20th, 2010

mark, can you tell us if RB6 are having major upgrade at Barcelona

3 Amigos POSTED April 19th, 2010

This just one race! Never give up! You have a tight team around you and excellent circle of supporters! The best will always suceed in the end!

Victor Jenkin POSTED April 19th, 2010

Well I’ll take back what I said before Mr. Webber. Your not that good in the wet. In fact I’m not sure your heart is in it anymore. Maybe retirement isn’t a bad idea after all. At least your having fun out there. Pride has nothing to do with it these days. Enjoy the rest of your season……

natalia POSTED April 19th, 2010

dont worry, in Barcelona yo’ll have better luck, see you on the podium the next race in barcelona a lot of kisses from spain

scott POSTED April 19th, 2010

how is it that jensen (mclaren) has managed twice to pick the right tire strategy? surely it’s not luck. is the mclaren easier on tires. how much input does a driver have when deciding tire strategy in changeable conditions?

Andy POSTED April 19th, 2010

By Lap 21 Mark was up to 6th position, not 9th. He then dropped 6 spots after the re-start.

Seriously, it’s the man’s website and you can’t even get his results right. Sort it out!

Go Webber.

**Site Manager**

Sorry Andy – our copywriter must have been too worried about how he was going to get home after the race! Unfortunately it didn’t help, as he’s still stuck in China!

jason knott POSTED April 19th, 2010

we lived it with you mate as we do each race . Jason

Todd POSTED April 18th, 2010

Not to worry Mark, the next few races in Europe with it’s dryer conditions will be a poaching ground for Redbull. We’ll see you on the the poduim.

A very frustrating day for Redbull indeed and not the result we were all hoping for. I’m sure the European summer and its dryer weather conditions will be a poaching ground for Mark and Seb. Good luck Mark all the best in the coming races.

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Webber’s Shanghai slide!

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Webber’s Shanghai slide!

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