13 December 2013

FORMULA 1: Vettel still the favourite

Mark Webber believes his former Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel will start next season as favourite to win a fifth consecutive world championship. Major rule changes for 2014 mark a reset for F1 but Webber says Red Bull will adapt well to the new regulations. Read more after the cut..........

"Seb's the favourite for the drivers' championship," said Webber, who has quit F1 to race for Porsche at Le Mans.
"They'll be favourites for starting the season very strongly, which is probably not what people at home want to hear."
But Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey, whose team have dominated under the 2009-13 rules regime, says next year's regulations are "a fresh roll of the dice for everybody"
In 2014, Formula 1 cars will have turbo-charged engines for the first time since 1988 and these will be fitted with extensive energy-recovery systems. A series of aerodynamic changes have also been introduced which will prevent Red Bull exploiting some of the areas in which they have excelled.
But Webber said: "I think they are going to be very strong.
"It's an engine category next year more than probably a car/aerodynamic category, which is probably not a bad thing for some people.
"But there will also still be decent driver input, especially from a brainpower perspective in terms of pacing and managing and all the technology the cars are going to have next year, which will help Sebastian. That's right up his alley. Perfect for him."
Webber, in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, was asked to name the best driver he had raced against in his 12-year F1 career.
"Probably between Seb and Fernando [Alonso of Ferrari]," the 37-year-old said.

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