While Monza may have propelled him back into the lead of the five-way world championship battle, Red Bull’s Mark Webber continues to be the understated participant in this fierce competition. Naturally, he arrives in Singapore with the ambition to win and add another 25 points to his tally, yet he states that his five-point lead over McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton is not at the forefront of his thoughts.
“I’m leading,” he remarked on Thursday. “There are a few competitors with slightly fewer points, but the situation remains captivating. Rankings can change rapidly, either positively or negatively for certain individuals. It’s a great position to be in, although I would certainly prefer to have a few more points. The number of contenders doesn’t matter—whether it’s two, four, or eight.
“The objective here is to win the race, and that’s exactly what we’ll aim for. But will we have five of us heading to Abu Dhabi? It’s a possibility, as it could also be three, five, or even just one. Completing races and remaining competitive is essential. Leading the championship in Singapore isn’t the priority; maintaining that lead in Abu Dhabi is what truly matters.”
Similar to Hamilton, Webber emphasizes the importance of finishing races and accumulating points as the season progresses.
“I’m approaching this like any other race,” he said. “It’s much like how we began the year; our focus is to maximize the car’s potential, perform our best during the race, and typically, you get what you earn in this sport. Non-completions are not an option for us. I need to keep scoring and gather as many points as possible. Yet, winning is crucial, and that’s what we aim to achieve here.”
In theory, the Singapore circuit should better showcase Red Bull’s aerodynamic advantages compared to recent low downforce venues like Spa and Monza. He added, “Without a doubt, we anticipated that Spa and Monza would be somewhat more challenging for us. We acknowledge that we have an exceptional car worldwide, yet we wouldn’t select Spa and Monza repeatedly to face our rivals because those types of tracks are rare on the calendar. Our focus is definitely on tracks that suit us better, and this circuit shares characteristics with most others, so we expect to be more competitive here.
“We haven’t arrived at our position by chance; we’ve earned it. This weekend, we intend to solidify that position—it should work out well for our car, given its bumpiness, which has historically benefited us. We’re hopeful of making steady progress over the next few weeks.”
Red Bull has indicated that they no longer view McLaren as their primary adversary; instead, Fernando Alonso and Ferrari have assumed that status.
Webber admitted that he has yet to finish a race here, saying, “I’ve only competed twice. I’ve faced issues such as a gearbox failure and a brake failure. However, Brazil used to be challenging for me, yet I emerged victorious there last year. I’m ticking off some boxes and am optimistic about performing well this weekend.”
One factor that could complicate this weekend’s plans is the possibility of rain during the race. “We haven’t yet dealt with rainfall under the lights at this venue,” Webber mentioned. “One of the key things we want to experience sooner rather than later is the spray. We are uncertain about how the visibility will be affected by the lighting. I’m betting that everything will proceed smoothly; I don’t expect any major issues.
“The same rules apply as on regular tracks. If the rain becomes too heavy, we obviously cannot race. It doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night; if the track becomes excessively wet, a race isn’t feasible. At that point, it shifts from racing against one another to merely surviving. Nonetheless, we’ll rely on the officials to ensure it’s safe enough to stay on track. If conditions are safe for that, then I believe it will resemble a standard Grand Prix.”
