Webber: I never considered leaving Red Bull
Mark Webber insists leaving Red Bull for another team never crossed his mind despite a difficult 2010 season.
Speculation was rife throughout the year that Webber wanted out at Red Bull after a couple of run-ins with team-mate Sebastian Vettel and his team bosses.
Tension started to appear in the Red Bull camp when Webber and Sebastian Vettel collided at the Turkish Grand Prix. A few races later they were again at it when the team decided to take a new spec lighter front wing off Webber's car to put on his team-mate's RB6 at Silverstone.
Webber went on to win the British Grand Prix and told the team "not bad for a number two driver" as he crossed the finish line.
Despite the many hiccups, Webber says he never considered leaving the Milton Keynes outfit.
"I never thought about actually going somewhere else," he said in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live. "I knew I had to sort things out within my own operation there. As I've said quite a few times, the team and myself, we all learned a lot this year about how to go racing consistently at the front and at that level.
"Ferrari and McLaren have had their tears with two competitive drivers, and I am not talking about Lewis and Fernando a few years ago. Ferrari have been around for 50 years, Red Bull for five minutes, so we learned a lot this year. And I knew as a team we could go through growing pains this year and go forward from it.
"So it never went through my mind that I needed to go somewhere else. And the team? I suppose their reaction at the time was harsh because the team had done such a good job to give us both a good chance to do really, really well - and when something like that happens it is very, very rare, which is why it got the reaction it did."
It was a heartbreaking end to the 2010 season for Webber after he finished third in the Drivers' Championship. He started the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi second in the standings, but was beaten to the title by his team-mate Vettel.
The Australian, though, is confident he'll be back stronger next season and will have another crack at the title.
"A lot of things happened this year which were new for the team," he said. "Sebastian is now World Champion and I need to get in position where I can try and race and beat him as often as I can again. And that comes with Jenson [Button], Lewis [Hamilton], Fernando [Alonso], all the normal suspects who will be there.
"The reset button has been hit. We have some new regulations to get on top of. I was clearly in a position to do something very, very unique and the fairly tale was not there. But there are a lot of positives for me to go into a fresh season fully charged and have a crack. I have a great team of people around me and that is what we will aim to do."
Webber's contract with Red Bull expires at the end of the 2011 season.
"I will take each year as it comes," he said. "I am focusing on the next race. Contract time always comes around and you either want it or you do not. I want to want to do it, to be hungry, motivated and determined to compete.
"Last year went well and I hope I can do the same next year. Let's see what happens in 2012. What is important is finishing on top of your game. I don't want to be beaten by guys I don't think I should be."
Credit: PlanetF1.com (www.planetf1.com)
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