Formula One star Mark Webber has admitted some races this year were so boring even the most ardent fan would have nodded off.
And the Australian is not convinced that rule changes for 2009 aimed at making the sport more competitive will have the desired effect.
Webber described the 2008 season overall as a good one for F1, crowned by the nail-biting climax in Brazil when McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton clinched the world title with an overtaking move at the final corner.
But he intimated officials had still not hit on a formula which would provide genuinely close racing.
“There are many changes next year - slick tyres on the cars and the aerodynamic regulations are very aggressive - and we haven’t seen changes like them for many years,” Webber told the BBC.
“The main thought behind them is to make overtaking easier.
“A few races this season could have put even the most hard-core fan to sleep, such was the lack of overtaking, so changes were necessary.
“It’s hard to predict exactly what effect they will have but will it make it a more competitive title race? I don’t think so.
“The difference between the best and worst teams might get even bigger in terms of overall timings so I don’t think it will close that gap.
“Hopefully we’ll have better overtaking but are the cars going to be closer together on the grid in terms of time?”
Webber also said the rapid rise of Hamilton to F1’s youngest world champion had been the cause of envy among many drivers.
He acknowledged Hamilton’s ability but said he had been fortunate to always drive for the leading teams in his career.
“I think it’s normal that when someone comes in and is successful pretty quickly in any sport there can be a bit of jealousy,” he said.
“For me, the way Lewis came through the ranks so quickly, he had a pretty smooth run.
“He came through the junior ranks quickly but in the best equipment - not many drivers have that option.
“However, his acid test came when he was appointed driver of the McLaren team and he delivered.”
The Australian Red Bull pilot continues to undergo rehab after suffering a broken leg in a collision with a car in Tasmania during his charity challenge last month but will line up at Albert Park for the first grand prix of the season in March.
Tags: Mark Webber, Red Bull
james spiropoulos wrote,
Why would anyone,I repeat ANYONE,ask Mark Webber anything about anything.
This bloke is the WORLD’S biggest sporting fraud,that has -ever- been foistered upon us.
HE HAS WON NOTHING,HAS DONE NOTHING AND HAS ACHIEVED NOTHING IN HIS ‘SPORT’.
Some honesty from sports journos,and just tell him that he is fkn useless.
Link | December 26th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Rage-in-Chief wrote,
So, you think it’s a “sports journos” job to pass judgment on an athletes skills?
Show me where that is part of the Journalist’s Board of Ethics. It’s a journalists job to report facts, nothing more.
Oh, wait, you think Webber being “useless” is fact.
And your qualifications are what?
Link | December 27th, 2008 at 12:44 am