• German Grand Prix

Webber guaranteed equal treatment

Mark Webber: "It is not often that you are closing in the last few laps, that was the awkward one I think" © Sutton Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• Race:
• German Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Sebastian Vettel
• |
• Mark Webber

• Teams:
• Red Bull

Mark Webber has been guaranteed equal treatment by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner after the events of the British Grand Prix two weeks ago.

Webber attempted to challenge team-mate Sebastian Vettel for second place at Silverstone but was told by the team to hold position. Webber ignored the orders and after the race said he was not happy about the situation.

However, he has now talked it over with Horner and has been promised that the team will act the same way if the roles are reversed.

"We spoke about it, he guaranteed me that it would have been the same situation the other way around if Seb was closing in on me, he would have still shut the race down. It was over pretty quick really," Webber told reporters at the Nurburgring.

"It is not often that you are closing in the last few laps, that was the awkward one I think - we are still free to race most of the time. It was an awkward one and it is not often that things like that happen in terms of the time of the race, and up until then we will be racing."

Vettel said his reaction in a similar situation would depend on the circumstances.

"I think it always depends on the situation in the race," he said in the press conference. "I don't think there was anything for us to gain as a team in the last race. Fernando was quite far away and whoever was fourth, Felipe or Lewis, they were battling, they were quite far away from us, so as a team there was nothing to gain. Surely, as Mark said, he wanted to race, he wanted to improve that one position. I didn't want to let him by, I tried to defend.

"It depends, as I said, on the situation. On the one hand you want to race for yourself and on the other hand you try the best for the team. To be honest, I don't think there's much we have to talk through and go through again. On Sunday, obviously for that to happen, first of all we have to have a lot of good laps to then be in a position to fight against each other for the victory, so I think that stage is quite far away so I would rather start tomorrow morning with free practice one and go from there."

Webber added that he is feeling confident ahead of this weekend's German Grand Prix after improved performances at the last two races.

"I'm feeling really good," he said. "The momentum has been coming for me off the back of a strong weekend in Silverstone, particularly off the back of qualifying. Valencia was also quite positive for me. I'm looking forward to it even if it's wet."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.