Webber stays bullish for final run in
Australian Mark Webber remained bullish about his chances of winning
this year's Formula One drivers world championship on Monday despite
losing his leadership after crashing out of Sunday's Korean Grand Prix.
The 34-year-old Red Bull driver spun his car during the early laps of
a delayed and interrupted, but wildly dramatic, rain-hit race while
running in second place and hit a kerb and a wall before colliding with
German Nico Rosberg's Mercedes car.
The accident left him pointless and cost him top spot in the title
race with two events remaining in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. Triumphant
Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari took over as leader.
But Webber collected himself and remained defiant in his bid to
become the third Australian after Jack Brabham and Alan Jones to lift
the title.
"It's not easy, but I can still do it, absolutely," he said.
"Positions are not really important at the moment - the points are the
important thing. They can change very quickly.
"This is my second non-finish of the year, but there are still two
races to go and I will do my absolute best."
He conceded that his accident was all his own fault.
"Yes, it was totally my fault. I got a wheel on the kerb on the exit
of Turn 12 and it was a very slow-motion moment, off the back of it..
Totally my mistake.. It just wasn't my car.
"It was a very long slide and so frustrating. I thought I had done
enough, but in the end it wasn't enough. The wall obviously was close
and did some damage and then I wrecked Nico's race as well.
While Webber bemoaned his fortune, Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren,
the 2008 champion, was optimistic that he is still in the hunt thanks to
finishing second, his first podium finish in four races.
"It is definitely back on and it is possible, but we need to keep
pushing and we need some luck.
"We will keep pushing and as you saw anything can happen, we didn't
expect two Red Bulls to go out, but that is how close this championship
is. Fernando is quick but it is still open."
His McLaren team-mate and compatriot defending champion Jenson Button
was downbeat after finishing 12th and admitted his title defence was
virtually over.
He is 42 points behind Alonso with two races remaining.
"Everyone else needs to have failures," he said. "That's the way it
is. I don't know what happened, but there must have been something wrong
because the car was undriveable.
"I won't be asked. If I can't mathematically win it I'd do whatever I
needed to, to help the team. My championship, if the other guys don't
have non-scores or issues, is pretty much over. Yeongam, AFP
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