
After claiming the seventh pole position of his Formula One career on Saturday, Mark finished today’s Spanish Grand Prix in fourth place. There were phases of the race when his RB7 was the fastest car on the track, but he lost a lot of time in traffic. In fact, Mark spent 38 out of today’s 66 lap race in the shadow of the Bandiera d’Italia on the rear wing of Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari!
“I was quick when I had a clear track ahead of me,” says Mark. “But I quickly found myself behind other cars and the damage to your tyres is exponential when you’re in dirty air. In years gone by you could race hard when you were behind people, but that’s not the case in 2011 due to the tyres.”
Mark made a clean getaway from pole at the start of the race, but he emerged from Turn 1 in third place after Fernando Alonso pounced on him and fellow front row starter Sebastian Vettel.
“My reaction to the lights was good,” says Mark, “and I got away reasonably well. But Fernando had an absolute flyer and he got the jump on everyone. I got done by Seb under braking, which wasn’t great, but I still thought I could challenge for the win at this stage.”
Mark would have benefited from pitting for the first time on lap nine in order to get the undercut on the cars ahead of him. But Vettel – Red Bull Racing’s lead car at this stage of the race – got priority and that was the beginning of a difficult afternoon for Mark.
“I spent the next two stints behind Fernando,” says Mark. “I lost KERS in the middle of the race and that made it very difficult to pass him because the DRS zone wasn’t that effective. We were on the rev limiter from halfway down the pit straight, which made it difficult to execute a pass. By the time I cleared Fernando on lap 39, I was too far behind Jenson [Button] to challenge for the final podium position.”
Vettel went on to win the race, with Hamilton and Button rounding off the podium. Alonso came home a distant fifth.
“It’s bizarre that Fernando finished eight seconds behind the winner in Turkey and he was lapped here, having led the race for 18 laps,” says Mark. “But that was the thing about this race: we saw different cars and drivers poles apart in terms of performance. It was as though some cars were involved in a different formula.”
Mark has just four days until he’s next on-track, ahead of next weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. Mark won the race last year and he’ll be looking for a podium finish once again.
// ends
Hey Mark we just got back to KL from Spain where we saw you have a red hot go. Saturday was great and Sunday did not pan out howveer if my memmory serves me well you have more pints this year at this time than the same time last year. I hope to be at a race you win so I can hear Advance Australia Fair. Best of luck for this weekend we will be watching you from KL
from my perspective that pit strategy was apalling. Coming in on th same lap as the guy who was ruining your race. Who makes those call? you had fresh boots on your second stint yet still came in whn alonso did, you should of had the advantage to stay out and at least put alonso behind you. We’ve since read that ferrari may have been listening in…i guess that may explain it because nothing else does? im not an expert, but as he was in front, cant you just abort the pit and stay out when you see him peel off? that was the most frustrating race since Korea. i think RB didnt help you in the early phase to ensure seb wasnt under threat and it back fired to put you to 4th, not second. Kill it in monaco…please
Mark! Remember this!!! You not No 2 on anything! In our hearts you always No 1 star! You got guts you can do it!You know about race better than anyone! My Q is why you not speeding when you start the race and why you pit stop at the wrong time!! Please do something!!! We luv u very much!!!
With you thro’ all your ups and downs. Stay motivated. Much love.
Hi Mark, Not the result you hoped for, but 4th and more points to add to your championship for 2011. Put Barcelona behind you. I trust you and the team went over the data to ensure any improvements will be included for your next race Monaco. I hope when the team bring you in for your tyre changes they put you out in clean air.
In your true Aussie Grit put your RB7 on pole for the race and your first win for 2011.
All the best go get this one Mark.
Hi Mark! We all know you won`t give up! The whole world is watching what`s going on (I mean those ‘strange’ tactics) and I`m sure great lots of people are on your side! Our support and prayers for you MUST help!
Cheer up Mark! Show must go on!:)
The best wishes from Ukraine
I know i’ts easy with hindsight to make good decissions. It looks like Ferrari were watching which tyres you were putting on when you both changed to the hard compound? Would the options have been a better choice? Could the team, seeing Ferrari with their ‘hard’ set out, have rushed your last set of softs out to break the patern of similar performance and a better chance to overtake before the last tyre stop?
cheers and great admiration from Australia
Keep your chin up, the race is’nt over yet!
The season just started and everything is far from over. You got plenty of time to show what you are made of. Best of wishes from Bulgaria
always a joy to watch you run and more when you’re on the track even when you’re a 30-degree heat and finish like a shrimp! was surrounded by fans of Ferrari, in a red sea had a blue dot that was me, with a shirt reading “webber forever”, they laughed at me at the start, but I laughed more when Alonso was behind you.
you never disappoint me, get ready for Monaco and Barcelona forget
Many thanks for the race, always a pleasure to see you race. The best is yet to come, I’m sure you will rule in Monaco, no othe way possible. All the best from Poland
Hi Mark I hope that you are fine after bad sunday, alot of people with you because you deserve more appreciation than RB gives you, forget Seb now and concentrait you shouldn’t give up. I have only one advice for you, work hard,study everythings and please pray and pray. Mark go to the God, he only can help you and gives you what you want, and he will do because you always help people also he care about you because you care about people. I’m with you not because you are amazing driver only but also you are amazing human. Finally work hard and pray then you will see. good luck in Monaco.
**for the site manager I hope Mark read this comment**
I saw the Canberra Milk Kid ad during the race. Those singing lessons have certainly paid off.
What happened after the first pit stop?
You had new option tyres, yet pitted again so early, leaving you just with the primes for the rest of the race.
Did the team order that stop (perhaps to lure alonso into a stop?), in effect to improve vettels race and ruin yours and alonso’s?
Hey Mark, shattered for you, but you got some points and can still do what needs to be done for the year. I don’t understand why your car loses its KERS at the most important part of races this year. Keep your chin up. Go hard in qualifying for Monaco next week and you get a chance to get the win.
Take care champ.
Your No 1 Fan Abs.
I hurt from the start and hated. Pity fighting off Seb at the start let Alsono through. Roll on next week and show how you deserve another Monacco.
Go Web, never mind Barcelona keep going for gold!
Well Mark another hard day at the office it seems strange you have a great car all weekend until race day you may have to Eddie Ervine a call.
Mate, i feel for you, i sat up and watch the whole race and when you lost the place back to Alonso , i knew it was not possible to get a podium. hope you learnt from it and apply it to the next few races.
This is not the end! I hope to see you on the podium in Monaco.
Chin up!Looking forward!The next race is already on sunday!
Good luck!!
Hey Mark, here’s a strategy suggestion. The moment you were beaten off the line why not complete 1 lap, pit and throw on the harder compound to get it out of the way and run in clear air for a few laps ’til you catch the backmarkers and save yr fresh softs until the end?? outside the square but you’ve proven the reverse strategy before. Otherwise it’s pit stop for pit stop.
I’m so sorry about you, Mark! It was really very fustrating to saw you behid Fernando, trying to pass him. He was a relly nuisance for most of the race. But don’t worry, you have a lot of races to show everybody your quality.
Hey Marki!!! I’m really speechless and therefore it’s hard to find suitable words for what happend again!! I can understand your disappointment after P4 but it’s the maximum you could get!!! Don’t give up please, next chance this weekend, your fans are with you and my support will always be yours, you’re my champion and it will never change no matter how many “Vettels” may come!!! A very, very huge and close embrace from Austria!!!
I was feeling your pain in Spain! Good Luck in Monaco – your most hopeful fan, Tim (and my four year old son Cooper)
HUH? How come NO ONE has commented here??? Or have they, and it’s all been removed? Anyway, I thought did a great job today Mark, number two driver or not, you got on with it. Pity about the technical hitches, was Sbe’s car similarly hampered I wonder?
There are good days and days in which not achieve what we expect.
The next race will be better
I am sorry Mark. But I think that trying to fend off Sebastian at the very start of the race is the fatal mistake which then eventually shaped up the final outcome of the GP. Plus I think the speed that Seb got at the dirty side at the start of the race is something worth to be getting to know in to. Like all your fans we were devastated but of course not ceasing in supporting your cause!
Bad luck Mark. Bring on Monaco!! Pole and then the win!!
Mark, it was a difficult afternoon, nevertheless I enjoyed so much to see you in the car alive the whole weekend… and got many pictures!! It is a shame you could not repeat last year result, however I am sure you will be back on podium in Mónaco.
Go for it!
Best.
We need some breath. We need to make the change right now. I know its about Kers, DRS, pace and everything, but we realy need to make the jump quickly.
Mark Webber is the Team Principal of MW Arden, a three car team in the new GP3 series supporting European Grands Prix.
Very, very frustrating …
Ok, the start could’ve been better but RBR strategy was disgraceful !!! At the same race RBR strategy was excellent to get the finger past Alonso + P1 …
What the hell’s going on?? Your Wunderkind has a “nice lead” now – don’t you think RBR??
Chin up Mark and all the best for Monaco!!!