Should Webber retire at the end of this year?
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I know he signed a new contract a little while ago, but all year Webber has just fallen further and further away from Vettel. I think he feels a beaten man, and I don’t think he could turn that around.
I do think he’s had a very poor season, he should have sneaked a couple of wins and a lot more seconds to Seb with those wheels under him.
I also think that if McLaren and Ferrari are closer next year (and Roberg goes to Ferrari, if you chose to believe rumours, like I do), then I think Webber could cost Red Bull the constructors’ next year.
This might sound a bit harsh, because I really do like Webber, I just think Seb has completely got his measure and I don’t think that will be turned around.
should he retire? – personally i’d say No.
He hasn’t been driving as well as Seb has, but if he gets his act together for next season, and is able to make better starts at race day .. he should be right up there at the podium. Not that i see him beating Vettel on a regulair basis, but maybe get some wins and second places.
I think Vettel’s super-season hasn’t done Marks reputation any good, but in the end he’s still a great driver. Much like Hamilton, he just needs some luck.
The funny thing Is that for most of 2011, Mark actually had oodles more points than after the same number of races last year, so he has, ironically, done better than last year
No let him race for 2012,let the other Red Bull backed drivers get matured (STR) the leave him & fit someone from junior level.
Well the perfect scenario for any team is the guy that always finishes the race 1 place below your lead driver isn’t it… Webber’s not dong that good in that regard, but at the moment (putting my cynical spectacles on) he’s probably the best out there at doing this
I don’t think Webber should’ve retired, but I think he should’ve considered taking the offer and going to Renault to close out his career as a team leader rather than a number 2.
To be honest, I think there is a strong case that Red Bull should’ve sacked him.
From RBR’s point of view, without an obvious replacement, Mark Webber is doing a good enough job to get them the more important Constructors Championship. More than can be said for Ferrari’s No.2.
And from Mark’s pov, would you move from a winning car to team that seems to be doing its best to destroy itself. Maybe as the only Lotus team it can get back to where it should be.
Webber shouldn’t retire. He only need to improve on his starts and learn how to look after his tyres.Sometimes i find it very difficult to rate him but most of you will agree with me that he is a very good driver.So i don’t see the reason why he should retire.
It looks as though the basic points of the situation have been laid out properly already:
1. RBR is more than happy with him. Many points for the WCC.
2. Helmut isn’t complaining either.
3. VET’s competitive streak hasn’t been hurt at all by not having a team mate pushing him to the edge.
4. VET isn’t ready to be the older/wiser team mate just yet. RBR has a history of going towards setting up proper senior/junior line-ups with regards to their drivers. They’ve gone from very experienced, but not world champ material (DC) to gradually less experienced but overall more promising. The strategy is easy to figure out: they’re aiming for a third WDC and WCC with VET next year, and then they’ll seriously consider another rising star by his side. This is the big finale pay-off for decades of their Young Drivers Programme.Conclusion: WEB stays.
Easy-peasy.
Why do you say Vettel isn’t “ready” for point 4, @Trix ?
@raymondu999 It is in no way an insult to VET’s growth in both nailing a race strategy over the entire weekend (he’s turning into a master quali ninja), and in maturity. But you cannot deny Sebastian era 2010 is very different from this year’s version. Let the boy steady into his champ boots before he has to guide a junior/worry about a rising star.
From a PR & marketing view, it would have been a terrible decision not to re-sign WEB for another too. RBR is a branding branch (yes, with very passionate people about F1!). The thought process goes beyond the simple driver line-up.
Red Bull has changed quite a few of their major sponsorships in other sports over the past 8-10 months. Their F1 team is a working model. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.I think Mark might benefit from being at a different team (not from leaving F1), but there’s no particular hurry for him to go there – he’s still plenty quick enough for Red Bull’s needs, he gets on tolerably if not fantastically well with the team and he is improving (albeit probably not fast enough to ever wrest a title off Sebastian). There are particular things Mark would benefit from learning in order to be a better racer, but that doesn’t mean retirement would be of use or ornament to him, Red Bull or F1 as a whole.
@Trix I think I see where you’re going. On his own Seb can hold out as a driver and bring the team along, without senior guidance. But he’s not quite able to take on a “mentor” figure yet. That’s what you’re saying, yes?
Sounds to me like the team could do more to help him get the best from the Pirelli tyres. Seems obvious from my armchair they should try something different with Webber, shorter early stints or something, instead of just mirroring Vettel’s strategy. It was telling what Webber said after the Indian race, that he’s had the same problem all year of tyre wear towards the end of a stint. Jenson Button, who he was racing early on, sounded like he was aware of this issue, and just waiting for Mark to fall away.
Other drivers, notably Alguersuari and Sutil, have found ways to make the Pirellis work for them through the year, although that could be any combination of changes to driving style, car set-up and aero updates. I’d say Jaime needs another season of his current good form before he’s a threat to Webber’s seat in Red Bull Racing, so unless Hamilton has a bad start to next season…it helps Webber that there’s no obvious replacement for him.
In a way he’s in a similar position to Massa (although Vettel is right at the top of his game with the confidence of a champion, while Alonso must be forgetting how that felt) and while there must be way more pressure at Ferrari, Webber seems better equipped mentally to deal with it.
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