Mark Webber, the Formula One world championship leader, expressed that he had a “very good day” at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, despite finishing second to his team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
With a finish just 0.9 seconds behind the German during the 53-lap race, the Australian increased his championship lead to 14 points. Webber now sits at 220 points, compared to Vettel and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who are both on 206 points.
This race marked Webber’s ninth podium appearance of the season, keeping him in a strong position for the title as the season nears its end with races scheduled in South Korea, Brazil, and Abu Dhabi.
“The most important thing is that the gap is heading in the right direction,” Webber noted. “I need to maintain this. With three races remaining, this is a favorable outcome for me.”
“Seb deserved the victory, (but) I must aim to win again in the future. I believe I can achieve that.”
After rain impacted the Suzuka circuit on Saturday afternoon, Webber narrowly missed out on pole position, falling short by 0.068 seconds to Vettel in the rescheduled qualifying session. At the race’s start, he struggled to gain momentum.
Starting from third on the grid, Renault’s Robert Kubica overtook the Australian at the first corner, but the Polish driver was forced to retire on lap three when his right rear wheel came loose.
“Robert had an incredible start, probably the best from the top five,” Webber remarked.
“He launched like a cannon from third on the grid, but then encountered issues behind the safety car. It was close with Seb during qualifying, and we all understand how critical that can be. After that, securing a victory became quite challenging for me.”
