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Webber holds engine advantage

The number of engines each team has used could come into play in the latter stages of the season © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Fernando Alonso
• |
• Felipe Massa
• |
• Mark Webber

• Teams:
• Ferrari
• |
• Red Bull

Mark Webber heads into this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix with an advantage over his Ferrari rivals in that Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have each used their full allocation of eight engines for the season, meaning that if they need to use more engines in 2010, they will incur ten-place grid penalties.

"We preferred to use a new engine at Monza and then manage the mileage for the next five races," team boss Stefano Domenicali told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have used seven engines apiece, so they each have a spare in the bag. "The McLaren drivers [are a threat] because they look to have a bit more reliability up their sleeve with engines,"Webber told the BBC. "We don't know what's going to go on at the end of the year."

Also having used seven engines so far are the Mercedes, Force India, Toro Rosso, HRT, Virgin and Lotus, along with Williams' Nico Hulkenberg and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi. Sebastian Vettel has a spare Renault engine in the bank, but Webber has two fresh engines still to fit in the rear of his RB6.

"Singapore should suit us if Monaco is anything to go by," Webber said. "We've seen performance move around a little bit - not much - against the form card but on paper the next few circuits look like they should be good for us."

Also with two spare engines left are the works Renault drivers, and Williams' Rubens Barrichello. Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa, meanwhile, ran out of engines in Belgium last month, forcing him ten places down the grid after a ninth Ferrari unit was installed.

Nick Heidfeld is now taking over car No. 22, meaning that if a tenth engine needs to be fitted at any of the five remaining races this season, he will serve the grid penalty.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.