Although many may argue that Mark Webber’s opportunity to claim the F1 world championship vanished during the qualifying session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final flickers of hope faded irrevocably when he was compelled to make a pit-stop for tyres on the eleventh lap of the season’s climactic race.
Having utilized his supersoft tyres more extensively than most competitors during qualifying, taking five laps to achieve his best time, the Australian found his tyres starting to lose performance early in the race as he pursued title rival Fernando Alonso.
While a minor brush with the barriers at turn 14 did not inflict significant damage on the RB6, it did lead Webber to contemplate a tyre change, despite the change jeopardizing his standing in the competition.
What began as a fifth-place position rapidly fell to sixteenth, critically placing Webber behind Nico Rosberg, Vitaly Petrov, and Jaime Alguersuari, all of whom had seized the chance to pit for a tyre change during an early safety car period.
Ferrari, eager to ensure Alonso maintained a close watch on Webber—who entered the race eight points behind the Spaniard—responded by pitting their double world champion shortly afterward. However, he faced the same fate as Webber, allowing Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel to slip into contention for the title as they found it challenging to overtake the tenacious Petrov.
“It was a significant day, and we had the opportunity to achieve something remarkably unique, but ultimately it didn’t work out for us,” Webber expressed with a sigh. “Earlier in the race, we were aware we had to take risks and adjust our strategy, yet it left us vulnerable—Fernando matched our moves regardless. I exerted my utmost effort, and we did everything within our capacity, but in the end, it wasn’t sufficient.”
Having led the standings longer than anyone else during a season defined by consistency, which was marred late on by a crucial retirement in Korea, it was entirely reasonable for Webber to feel disappointed for coming so close to his lifelong ambition—realizing that it might have been his sole opportunity to secure the championship.
“I had a shot at winning the championship until the final race, which means I must have been doing something correctly, and ultimately, there are many positives,” he acknowledged. “I genuinely feel that I drove very well throughout the majority of the season, and that is the most important aspect for me.
“This weekend didn’t go as planned, which is unfortunate, but it provides a good moment for reflection in the coming weeks to think back on both the highs and the lows. That’s just how the sport sometimes unfolds.
“The past couple of weeks have been filled with many emotions, and when you get so close to the summit and narrowly miss it, it’s disheartening, but I put forth my absolute best effort. I’m fortunate to have wonderful people surrounding me, and I will return to fight again next season.”
Notwithstanding the challenges that sometimes marred their season, Webber acknowledged that his younger teammate had indeed earned the title.
“You have to give credit to Sebastian; he has performed admirably throughout the year, especially leading the championship into the last race; his timing was impeccable,” he remarked. “I extend my full congratulations to him on winning the world championship, and it’s quite an achievement for the team to secure two championships.”
Ultimately, finishing eighth in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix relegated Webber to third place in the final standings, with only a two-point advantage over fourth-placed Lewis Hamilton, who chased Vettel to the finish line at Yas Marina.
