Words From Webber
Last year the BBC employed Heikki Kovalainen to write a regular column, giving a little bit of an insight into life in the paddock. This year, it’s Mark Webber’s turn and his first column was released today.
I have some thoughts on it.
Firstly, he introduces it and there are moments throughout the writing, where he talks as though we are complete newbies to the sport. Which is fine, I don’t have a problem with introducing new fans to F1 concepts, but the column is so long, I can’t imagine someone who was only slightly interested in the sport reading it all the way through.
Next, a fascinating fact.
We lost so many points last season just because the car stopped - my team-mate David Coulthard and I didn’t finish 14 races between us. So if we can get that down to a maximum of four or five then it will make a big difference.
Hearing the actual numbers makes that even more scary. We joked the entire of last year that Webber couldn’t manage to finish a race, and this year’s gearbox rule is going to be the place where races are won or lost for Red Bull. And when I say won, I mean picking up points, obviously.
Talking about Fuji:
That race was looking set to be my best of the season - I was in second place before I was taken out by Sebastian Vettel while the field was running behind the safety car.
Still not let that one go yet, Webber?
Of course, my aim ultimately is to win races in Formula One, and I would be very disappointed if I was not able to do that if I was given a Ferrari. But whether I could operate at Kimi Raikkonen’s level for a whole season is another question, and that’s what I’d like to find out.
Surely, and I may be idealising here, but surely Raikkonen operates at the same level no matter what car he is in. That’s just the way he drives. That’s what makes him a champion. If Webber even has to think about it, there’s no way he’s going to manage. Is that an age thing? Or an experience thing? Or is he just not made of the same stuff as the champs I know of?
I’ll leave you with my favourite quote:
Renault are not at the same pace as Ferrari and McLaren but I think every now and then Alonso will put the cat amongst the pigeons. He won’t win the war, but some of the battles could get juicy.
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Comment by doctorvee
23:30 on 12 Mar 2008
Thanks for writing this article Christine! Interesting thoughts on Mark Webber’s column.
I know what you mean here. I saw Webber’s column earlier on the BBC website, and I started reading it before I decided it wasn’t worth my time. Mind you, the same was true when Heikki Kovalainen was the Beeb’s columnist, and I think it was Trulli before it. Does not DC have a column on the ITV-F1 website? I don’t read any of them.
It goes back to the discussion about the personality vacuum in F1. You just know that a driver won’t say anything interesting.
Comment by Oliver White
00:32 on 13 Mar 2008
Oooh, that’s a good phrase.
I initially thought Christine was being a bit harsh on ol’Webbo, but then I completely agreed with the comments made about Raikkonen and how “whether I [Webber] could operate at Kimi Raikkonen’s level for a whole season”. I have to agree, them ain’t the words of a champion in the making.
Which kinda leaves me feeling strangely upset. Webber always struck me as a fighter. A ’survivor’ in the business/sporting sense of the word. I hope the Red Bull improves this year, then at least we’ll get to see if Webber is made of the right stuff or not.
Comment by Ponzonha
00:54 on 13 Mar 2008
Nice post for a nice guy.
How sincere and self concious is Webber, rarely seen in a high level sportsman.
BTW, he is among the scarce group of Alonso’s friends.
Comment by doctorvee
00:55 on 13 Mar 2008
I wonder to what extent Webber really did write those words. I do get the impression that these columns are ghost-written, so some journalist has possibly misinterpreted something Webber has said.
Nevertheless, it is an amazingly downbeat comment for an F1 driver to make.
Comment by sidey
01:15 on 13 Mar 2008
i can’t find the link now, because they’ve trashed the old site. but there was a post on the old (read: decent) renault blog that showed a pic of heikki being interviewed during a race weekend with the tag line:
“kovi being interviewed for his bbc column”
my guess is it’s a regular interview, marketed as a column.
incidentally the interviewer’s face was hidden, as if we’re not meant to know who he is (or was). so i’m guessing it’s someone recognisable.
Comment by Dank
08:05 on 13 Mar 2008
“I wonder to what extent Webber really did write those words. I do get the impression that these columns are ghost-written, so some journalist has possibly misinterpreted something Webber has said.”
The bottom of that Webber article on the BBC site does say ‘Mark Webber was talking to Andrew Benson’ - so there’s your answer!
Comment by Craig
10:25 on 13 Mar 2008
I think maybe Webber’s column was indeed too long for you guys to read - it says at the end that “Mark Webber was talking to Andrew Benson” so clearly, as is normally the case, it’s actually this Andrew Benson chaps who writes the column following a five minute interview with Webber!
If this is the same guy who interviewed Heikki last year, and his face was deliberately obscured in pictures, is it safe to assume Andrew Benson is The Stig?
It’s a shame to find Webber doing the column, they always seem to find someone from further down the grid - personally I would have found Heikki’s true thoughts this season much more interesting!
Hopefully Webber will find the will to say something a bit more interesting as the season progresses. I haven’t heard whether DC is continuing his ITV column this year or not, so Mark could be our only hope.
Comment by Arun
15:15 on 13 Mar 2008
The last line reads ‘Mark Webber was talking to Andrew Benson’, so I can understand this wasn’t typed by Ol Webbie. Hey Christine, I thought he was being modest when he said that he’d like to know if he can perform like Kimi the whole season given a Ferrari. Anyways, looking forward to tonight’s practice (From USA - Texas!!)
Comment by doctorvee
15:18 on 13 Mar 2008
Damn me and my short attention span! I should have noticed that…
Comment by Christine
16:10 on 13 Mar 2008
He could have been being modest, but I just found it a bit odd.
Wouldn’t you say “I’d love to have a go in a Ferrari,” rather than “I don’t know whether I could hack it in a Ferrari.”
But, like has been pointed out, it’s a rewrite of an interview. Can’t take it at face value.
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17:43 on 13 Mar 2008
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Comment by sidey
20:45 on 13 Mar 2008
“is it safe to assume Andrew Benson is The Stig?”
could be. or he could just be camera shy.
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23:51 on 24 Mar 2008
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