Webbergate: Version 2

The whole “team order saga” once again erupted but then this time around Webber whining is just getting plain boring. Mark Webber is just lucky to drive for Red Bull. If Webber was so good, he would have gone to Renault during the 2007 season but the only reason he got his Red Bull drive was because of Renault supplying engines to Red Bull and his manager Flavio Briatore ensured that the deal happened.

Webber is way over-rated and on his day he can be a good driver but then he is not a “special” driver who can go on and win titles. He can be a good #2 or he can be a good driver for a mid-field team but then expecting Webber to win and challenge for titles is something which just is not possible. Last year people say it was Webber’s best chance but then he was just not consistent enough and that showed that by the end of the season it was Alonso who was Vettel’s biggest threat not Webber.

This season in 8 races before the British Grand Prix, Vettel has won 6 races and managed to finish 2^nd in the other 2 races. McLaren drivers Hamilton and Button both won races but Webber was just chasing Vettel throughout the season and was not even close to him. Even at the British Grand Prix despite on being pole Webber never did challenge him till the last 2 laps and that too it happened because of a horrible pit-stop by the Red Bull crew on Vettel while Webber actually got the better pit strategy.

Webber’s indiscipline this time is unacceptable and Red Bull should just not re-sign him for the next season. If they feel the younger drivers whom they have under contract is not good enough they can just sign Kamui Kobayashi who has proved that he is a highly capable driver and given a fast car he can be more than a capable teammate for Vettel. Or else they can just look at Massa who after the last 2 years in Ferrari is looking lost and he seems to have lost that spark that made him a challenger to the Championship during the 2008 season.

Red Bull does not need Webber while Webber needs them more than anything else. Webber does not have too many good options and the only seat which could be possible is Ferrari but that depends on Massa. Massa had a contract for 2012 but in F1 contracts means nothing so that is a possibility but then Alonso has molded the team around him Webber will have to be a #2 driver. He can go to Renault but with the whole Group Lotus fiasco, Renault may provide a good car but they just cannot provide a race winning car.

Williams and Force India are two options while Williams with a deal with Renault may look like they are keen on revival but given his age Webber would not want to spend his last few years nurturing the team while Force India will always be a team which performs well on a few track rather than a team which challenges for podiums.

Webber should have kept quiet and Red Bull should just sign Kobayashi as he is one for the future and has a good marketing potential too. Webber can just call it day or finish his career with Renault as he has just shot himself with his latest outburst.