Marko on Webber

[p-matt]

Helmut Marko has been saying some very interesting things about Mark Webber lately.

He's said that he's clearly a number 2 now following Vettel's three titles, has accused him of not helping Vettel in Brazil they way Massa did for Alonso and has said that he is affected by pressure when he's in a title fight.

He's also openly been courting Hulkenberg to replace him in 2014 rather than Ricciardo or JEV.


I agree with a lot of what he says, particularly Mark succumbing to pressure. But it seems idiotic to lambast one of your contracted drivers before the season has started. Especially as there doesn't seem to be a better option on the market at the moment. Has there been a monumental falling out in the Red Bull camp?

[Aysedasi]

It's always been pretty obvious who Marko supports at RB.....

[spider]

It's quite obvious Mark is a number 2. Not good enough to go for a title.

Nico for 2014 would be interesting...I'd expect him to give Seb a far harder time than Mark does over the course of an entire season...

[davyboy]

Helmut Marko is pretty much on the ball with what he's said... but boy oh boy it's just not the kind of thing that somebody of his seniority in Red Bull should be coming out with in public.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

The obvious way of looking at it, is that if Webber was #1 at RedBull with AN Other in the second car, would he have won the last three world championships.

My opinion is No, I doubt he would have won one, never mind three.

As such it's probably fair to say that he is the best #2 out there at the moment and arguably has been for the last few seasons (Button and Hamilton vying for #1 so no clear #2 at McLaren).

Now that Hamilton and Button are in different teams, it'll be interesting to see what happens with each of "Senior" teams having distinct #1 and #2 drivers, who it the best #2.

[Peat]

I hate to say it, but i think Marko is probably spot on there...

[JeremySmith]

I don't understand what purpose this serves, apart from reminding Mark that he is the number 2 driver...

[Clive Brown]

Originally Posted by spider

Nico for 2014 would be interesting...I'd expect him to give Seb a far harder time than Mark

Lack of talent might prove to be an obstacle, though....

Team orders might also play some part in events.

[steve_r]

My memory may be fading, but in the Brazilian race I seem to remember Webber pulling out of Vettel's way, and then Webber's race engineer came on the radio and said "thank you Mark".

Webber overtook Vettel on the run down to the 1st corner at the start - but the first corner of the first lap is hardly a place where you can start slowing down and messing about trying to get out your team-mates way.

[MarkG]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

It's always been pretty obvious who Marko supports at RB.....

true, plus the rest of RB it seems to me.

[Kempi]

steve_r: Mark did mess up the restart after the Safety Car period by trying to overtake Vettel. While starts might not be the best time to slow down for the teammate, restarts could be perfect opportunities to protect the contending teammate. Iirc the (botched) overtake-attempt by Mark was the reason VET fell behind KOB.

[The SpeCTator]

Unless the name is Vettel it is unlikely that Dr Marko will give you his support.
If he is right, why employ Mark and then shoot him down?
Its time Marko stepped aside, his role is no longer being fulfilled.
Red Bull would be better off without him.

[chillibowl]

thinking back to 2010 i thought the reason MW's title challenge collapsed was because of his (self inflicted) shoulder injury and not an inability to deal with the pressure. although, i suppose the injury could have been blown out of proportion hence why MW kept it to himself.

not the biggest MW fan and do think he is number 2 but he seems like the last guy whose mental toughness you would question.

and yeah also weird that this was an interview in a RB promotional magazine...this story will linger and fester all year.

[rich07]

Red flag to a bull? (no pun intended)

Marko doesn't need to spout this garbage, all it does is motivate Webber to prove Marko wrong.

Vettel is clearly no.1 at RBR so why does he feel the need to come out and say what we all know?

Idiot.

[Oldtony]

Now PLEASE we are marketing a fizzy drink to people who want a high!
Let's use our available tallent for best effect in the target market!
Glamourous young man v Gritty, grouchy old master. Young guy comes out on top! Perfect.
Only thing I don't get is why they don't play it up further with a series of suitably scripted TV commercials.

[P38 in workshop]

I hope we once again hear the winning driver's radio carry the message "Not bad for a number two driver".Could be just the way to motivate him.

[strider]

I saw a photo of Webber water-skiing last year and his right leg didn't look right to to me.

Since the end of the season he has had an operation on that leg, the very last one, and he will be 100% this year.

As for Marko he is a kind of mad doctor such as you see in movies and I wish he didn't have so much influence in RBR.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by strider

I saw a photo of Webber water-skiing last year and his right leg didn't look right to to me.

Since the end of the season he has had an operation on that leg, the very last one, and he will be 100% this year.

As for Marko he is a kind of mad doctor such as you see in movies and I wish he didn't have so much influence in RBR.

Who would have ever thought 40 years ago he would wield so much influence?

Webber is a great #2 driver. The only way he will ever be WDC is if the stars align at the right time. If he fails to stay competitive this year then probably this will be it for him.

[Born Racer]

I like Vettel, but Marko does my head in. What does he actually do? This is not a rhetorical question; I'm just curious.

Can we have a link to the comments about Mark, please? I only see this: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105018

I get the impression Marko likes attempting (arguably unsuccessfully) to wind Mark up. My being annoyed with him is probably like getting annoyed with Michael O'Leary of Ryanair: he likes it.

When you listen to Christian Horner, he sounds happier over the radio when Seb wins, but this is just what I hear. There may be nothing in it at all.

[Oran Park Forever]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Who would have ever thought 40 years ago he would wield so much influence?

Webber is a great #2 driver. The only way he will ever be WDC is if the stars align at the right time. If he fails to stay competitive this year then probably this will be it for him.

The stars aligned for him in 2010...helped by every other contender tripping over themselves & each other...& yet he still ran out of talent at the last hurdle!

Just ask Bernd Schneider about that day at Laguna Seca in the CLK..

Most of us downunder still wonder why the F1 world thinks he's championship material. All he succeeded in doing here is taking the Yellow Pages money from Formula Ford Australia to fund his rides in the UK....helped by his partner who ran FFA at the time.

Marko is on the mark...literally!


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[Trev Campbell]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

The obvious way of looking at it, is that if Webber was #1 at RedBull with AN Other in the second car, would he have won the last three world championships.

My opinion is No, I doubt he would have won one, never mind three.

As such it's probably fair to say that he is the best #2 out there at the moment and arguably has been for the last few seasons (Button and Hamilton vying for #1 so no clear #2 at McLaren).

Now that Hamilton and Button are in different teams, it'll be interesting to see what happens with each of "Senior" teams having distinct #1 and #2 drivers, who it the best #2.

I think your being a bit harsh there. Apart from probably Vettel, Hamilton & Alonso, I think Webber would be more than a match the other drivers on the grid. So yes he probably would have won at the very least the 2010 title, maybe even 2011, But it didn't happen that way and he's got to beat Vettel before anyone

[formerf1champ]

There's not one member of this site who dislikes Webber more than me, but this **** Marko comes up with every now and again ***** me to tears. To whinge about him that much, couldn't it be easier just to **** him off?

Also, for such an image conscious team, does this kind of talk really have a positive impact on them? The whole team come across as a pack of spanners. Indirectly even Vettel.

Originally Posted by chillibowl

thinking back to 2010 i thought the reason MW's title challenge collapsed was because of his (self inflicted) shoulder injury and not an inability to deal with the pressure. although, i suppose the injury could have been blown out of proportion hence why MW kept it to himself.

You don't think crashing into the wall in Korea, when the other title contenders didn't, was a sign of cracking?

You don't think qualifying 5th in Abu Dhabi, in the second fastest racing car ever built, when he'd been easily qualifying on the front row the whole year, was a sign of cracking?

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

You don't think crashing into the wall in Korea, when the other title contenders didn't, was a sign of cracking?

This would be the same as Alonso and Vettel both crashing at Spa yeah?

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

This would be the same as Alonso and Vettel both crashing at Spa yeah?

No, nothing like it. Vettel crashed because he had nfi how good he was i.e. not that good. He was also an outside bet for the title. Hamilton and Webber were slightly breaking away from the rest.

Alonso crashed through complacency/negligence. Also, he was so far behind the others in the title that people were ready to put him in the nut house after saying he could still win the title. At this point in time, Spa was stll a little way off before it got really hot, as far as the title was concerned. Korea, third last race of the year, we were well and truly in the fire.

Webber on the other hand, had a clear lead in the title, and the best car in the field. He was in a position where he could've built a one race lead. Considering how the race turned out, he could've eliminated Vettel from any serious hope of winning the title, even accounting for whatever bias the team/Marko has against him. He could've made it almost impossible for Alonso, despite Alonso's spirit. It was all there in front of him to take, but he dropped it. Mr Lolo Jones.

[Oran Park Forever]

Helmut Marko:

Winner 1971 Le Mans 24hr - setting overall distance record that stood until 2010
Driving the fearsome Porsche 917K

All time race/lap record holder for the Targa Florio set in the Alfa Romeo 333

He's not just a pen pushing salesman, unlike Mr RB himself!
He knows his stuff....& his opinion shows it.


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