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We still want engine parity - Webber

ESPNF1 Staff
August 3, 2010 « Schumacher lucky not to be disqualified - Warwick | »
Mark Webber has responded to scrutiny over the Red Bull's front wing with a demand of his own © Getty Images
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Mark Webber made a fresh call for engine equalisation in Formula One as he defended his team's flexible front wing at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix.

Red Bull has been grilled on the legality of its car this season, with its ride height questioned in the early part of the season and the flexibility of its front wing analysed at more recent races. The car has passed scrutineering at every race this season, although some minor changes have been requested by the FIA.

At the Hungaroring Webber defended his team, saying that it has had to push the boundaries of the aerodynamic regulations in order to make up for the Renault V8's relative lack of power.

"We've been looking for engine parity for the last few years," he said. "We know we don't have the most powerful engine. When we go to a track where there are not many straights, the car is good because we've had to try incredibly hard to get the car performing in this type of situation, so we would love parity with the engine."

Renault asked for engine equalisation over the winter but the FIA could not get the full support of all the teams. McLaren and Mercedes - believed to have the most powerful engines - were among the teams that questioned the legality of the Red Bull's front wing in Hungary, but Webber said there is no reason why his team should cede ground on aerodynamics if they are not willing to do the same on power.

"Other teams sometimes want everything, but we need parity on the engine and then it would be a fair game," he said. "That's all we want, similar horsepower to other teams. This is another example, when you go to different venues like Hungary, we see who has a nice car. It's not a one way street with this stuff you know."

He also defended the Red Bull car design.

"Our guys have broken their balls to design a car in the spirit of the regulations, and every time we are tested by the FIA, we pass," he said. "The car has always been passed by the FIA, so when people don't like [what they see on] the stopwatch, they have to justify their own positions. And when there's pressure on people to perform and they're getting destroyed, that's how it is.

He added: "McLaren have had a great year, if that's one of the teams that… I'm happy obviously, but they're a few points off, they're still right there. Some teams have done certain things, other teams have done other things. They incorporated the F-duct which is a sensational idea. We've turned the world upside down to try and do that which is not without our resource difficulties. That's Formula One. We're more than happy with what we have on the car and we're sleeping well at night, the guys, when they have inspections from the FIA that we're doing enough. You should never penalise things that are ingenuous and people that are doing a good job, and that's sometimes the case."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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