Mark Webber’s rare driving mistake in South Korea has cost him a significant edge in the battle for the Formula One world championship.
The championship contest shifted dramatically when Webber crashed during the 19th lap of the rain-soaked Korean Grand Prix; however, he received a stroke of luck as his Red Bull teammate, Sebastian Vettel—who posed a serious threat in the title race—was forced to retire due to an engine failure just nine laps before the finish.
For the first time this season since the opening race in Bahrain, Fernando Alonso from Ferrari finds himself in a favorable position.
The two-time champion from Spain now holds 231 points, leading Webber by 11 points (Webber has 220), while Lewis Hamilton has climbed to third place in the McLaren standings with 210 points. Vettel rests at 206 points, with only the Brazil and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix left.
“There are still two races to go, I’ll do my absolute best,” Webber mentioned following his crash.
Despite the Red Bull duo being the fastest on the day, they were thwarted by poor weather, which caused a delayed start, a complete halt, a re-start behind the safety car, and multiple safety car periods due to crashes.
Initially leading the race, Webber crashed after misjudging a turn and collided with a wall, inadvertently taking out Mercedes-Benz’s Nico Rosberg in the process, who was attempting to avoid him.
This incident allowed Vettel to seize control of the race until his Renault engine failed spectacularly, ultimately handing Alonso the victory.
“Totally my fault. I got on the curb on the exit of turn 12 and that moment was in slow motion,” Webber admitted regarding his crash.
“Totally my mistake. It wasn’t my day. And I took out Nico as well.” If Red Bull doesn’t now prioritize Webber—who still maintains a 14-point lead over Vettel—it could jeopardize the team’s chances at the championship.
The team also missed out on securing the manufacturers’ championship, as their first dual car failure of the year prevented them from clinching that title yesterday.
“Positions are not important…the points are the most important thing. This is my second non-finish of the year,” Webber remarked.
Alonso has consistently asserted throughout the season that he will be the world champion, and Ferrari appears to have momentum. However, he is running low on engines—each driver is limited to eight new engines for the season—and Red Bull still has the quicker car.
Webber secured victory in Brazil last year, while Vettel claimed the win in Abu Dhabi. Both have the necessary record, but they need to eliminate mistakes and likely cooperate if either of them is to secure the title.
The final results in Korea showed Alonso finishing more than 10 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton in second place, with Felipe Massa rounding out a successful day for Ferrari by taking third place, ahead of Michael Schumacher from Mercedes, who achieved his best result of the season, and Robert Kubica from Renault.
It was a disappointing day for defending world champion Jenson Button, who ended up in 12th for McLaren after an early pit stop derailed his race.
The 30-year-old British driver now trails Alonso by 42 points.
