Horner: Tension-free phenomenal partnership
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has applauded the "sporting character" of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber for recently clearing the air.
At various stages last year considerable acrimony existed, notably after their collision in the Turkish Grand Prix, the front-wing furore at Silverstone, combined with Webber's belief at times he was nothing more than a number two driver.
The enthralling season could not have ended in more contrasting circumstances for the duo, with Vettel becoming World Champion and Webber missing out despite being in a better position to win the title going into the final race in Abu Dhabi.
Since then Vettel and Webber have put their differences aside, a move Horner believes will be of natural benefit to the team, even if he fully expects them to be pushing one another to the limit again.
"Mark and Sebastian are both great drivers, massively competitive and at different stages of their careers," said Horner.
"We provided them with a great car, allowed them to race, and when they're going for the biggest prize in motor sport inevitably there will be tension, which boiled over on a couple of occasions.
"In the aftermath of Abu Dhabi there were two mixed emotions. In one room you had a guy who had just won the World Championship and in the other you had Mark who had just lost his dream of becoming Champion, so it was a funny dynamic there.
"But the two drivers eventually got together, and they were not pressured or forced. They did it of their own volition, and they talked to each other.
"That was testimony to the sporting character of both of them, and they had a good session, they cleared the air.
"Going into 2011 I think they're a phenomenal partnership and they will again push each other hard, and hopefully we can provide them with a great car again to run at the front."
Although those momentous days in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, when Red Bull won the Constructors' title and Drivers' crown respectively, were only in November, to Horner he concedes they now seem like "a long time ago".
They were also moments he felt might not happen given Vettel's run of misfortunate, in particular as he continued to gift points to Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
"Winning the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships was something very special for the whole team, and for Sebastian he achieved a phenomenal thing in what was a relatively short space of time," added Horner, speaking at the Autosport International Show at Birmingham's NEC.
"If you look at his year he had a lot of bad luck, with Fernando always benefiting from his misfortune, such as the spark plug failure in Bahrain and engine failure in Korea, races Fernando went on to win.
"Sebastian was beginning to wonder whether Fernando still had some sort of agreement with Renault!
"He also lost 25 points in Australia, so he had his bad luck, but he never lost his focus, remained absolutely motivated, and it paid off in the end."
Horner has confirmed the new car, the RB7, is on course to make its debut for the opening day of the first test in Valencia on February 1 ahead of what he is anticipating will be a very different season.
"The car is coming along very well," said Horner.
"The team put in a massive amount of effort over the Christmas break, and the plan is to be in Valencia for the first test.
"It's a big new challenge this year with Pirelli tyres coming in, the double diffuser has gone, KERS has been reintroduced, and we have the moveable rear wing, so a few more technical challenges.
"It's going to be fascinating to see in the early tests who is where."
Credit: PlanetF1.com (www.planetf1.com)
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