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“It’s all over now, isn’t it, mate?” says Mark Webber

After crashing out of the Italian Grand Prix, Mark Webber admitted that his chances for the world championship were essentially over, especially as his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel secured his eighth victory of the season.

Heading to Monza without a race win in 2011, Webber was positioned second in the standings, trailing Vettel by 92 points. Following today’s results, he dropped to fourth place, 117 points behind, entering a competitive four-way race for second in the championship, where Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Webber, and Lewis Hamilton are separated by just 14 points.

“I think now we’re all fighting for second,” Webber told television reporters.

“For anyone to snatch the championship away from Seb at this point, he would need to experience an incredibly disappointing end to the season.

“He is in an excellent position. He has done an outstanding job, and it was clear that the car performed well today, so it was a missed opportunity for me.”

Webber’s crash occurred early in the race when he collided with Felipe Massa while attempting to pass the Ferrari for fifth place. The collision damaged the Red Bull’s front wing, causing it to fold under the car and push it straight on at the Parabolica.

“I had a good run down the straight, braking on the outside and trying to go around him,” Webber clarified.

“Felipe began to move across, and I thought ‘okay, perhaps I should back off’. I was uncertain how far he would come across, and that was the dilemma I faced as we approached.

“I began to abandon the maneuver, but the kerbs on the inside are so high that if you hit them even slightly, it can launch the car, and I believe I made contact with him.

“After that, I tried to head back to the pits, of course. I was aware there was some damage, but I had no idea that the front wing was jammed underneath the car until I lost the steering.”

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