Thanks to dominant wins in Spain and Monaco, Australia’s Mark Webber is riding a the crest of Formula One’s wave right now. It’s a fickle place to be, certainly, but when the plaudits come in this sport you take them. Sir Frank Williams has endured a few disappointing years, and there are no signs of real improvement. Sir Frank has recently reflected that he may have got his assessment of Mark Webber wrong. He also reckons Webber is now the real deal.
Mark drove for Williams in 2005 and 2006, at the time it was seen as a great career move. Unfortunately for Sir Frank and Mark, as well, the results didn’t come. Webber achieved a single podium in his first year (third at Monaco) and he could only muster a miserable seven points in the entire 2006 season. Williams was happy to let Mark go believing the Australian was part of the problem. Now, he’s not so sure.
“When we had him obviously our car was a disappointment and we felt he was part of the problem. He probably wasn’t actually, with hindsight. The major point was that the car had problems,” Williams said.
Sir Frank also senses that Mark has matured as a driver, “He always used to put himself under too much pressure, but now I don’t see any evidence of that at all. He looks pretty calm in himself and what you’re seeing is real.”
Does Williams think Webber has the pace to beat highly fancied teammate Sebastien Vettel over the entire year? Well, he’s sitting on the fence there, “The end of the year will show it, they’ve got equal cars. Mark’s obviously on top form, and assuming Vettel is on top form, it’s pretty even stevens.”
[Source: ITV]
2 replies on “Sir Frank says, “No bull, I was wrong about Webber””
Yeah Sir Frank, Mark broke the car 7 times during GP’s that season.
Doesn’t everyone know it was the car? If the car doesn’t enable the driver to finish races, how can the driver possibly score points.
I personally think Webber has always had potential, however in Formula 1 potential alone isn’t enough. You need potential and a good car (which as history has it, Williams have had many, just not in 2005 and 2006). That’s why him and Vettel are leading the championship with Red Bull.