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‘Sebastian Vettel is beatable’, says Webber

Mark Webber has remarked that his Red Bull colleague Sebastian Vettel is not invincible, despite the German’s remarkable achievement of four victories out of five races in 2011. He claims to have pinpointed Vettel’s vulnerabilities as a wunderkind.

“In our first year together (2009), and even this year, he has an upper hand,” Webber stated. “Last year was extremely close.

“Every lap we completed was almost neck and neck. This year, especially on Saturdays, he appears to feel at ease.”

While acknowledging Vettel’s impressive performance, Webber believes he has a distinctive chance to discover and utilize any weaknesses in Vettel’s approach.

“Although he seldom has a poor performance, like any competitor, he has flaws, and as his teammate, I have the opportunity to observe those more closely than others.”

“I am still very much a contender for the championship.

“Clearly, he performs exceptionally well, but I don’t find him intimidating. When things go perfectly, he can be defeated.”

Currently, Vettel enjoys a significant advantage with 118 points, holding a 41 point lead over Lewis Hamilton, who has 77 points, while Webber trails by an additional 10 points, totaling 67.

Webber asserts that this lead is not unmanageable.

“Seb has a comfortable cushion over all of us, and if that trend continues, it could become problematic.

“However, if it doesn’t, and the McLaren drivers or I start taking turns winning races, the dynamics will shift.”

Having faced notable challenges with the Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) on his Red Bull during the initial races, Webber performed phenomenally in China but was eclipsed in Turkey and faced a disappointing finish in Spain, where he came in fourth.

The Australian maintains a positive outlook despite his challenging start to 2011.

“Securing two podium finishes under these conditions is commendable, given how swift McLaren has been,” he noted.

“I would have preferred to have gained more, but I could certainly be in a far worse position than I am currently.”

Buford Balony says: Vettel’s weakness is his teammate.

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