Team boss Christian Horner was asked some questions about the now outspoken conflict between Webber and the Austrian outfit (the second one this season, after Turkey), and insisted that there is no No 1 driver at Red Bull Racing. Additionally, he told the media that he's going to have a chat with the 33-year old driver and clear the air as soon as possible.
“Mark Webber has driven for this team for four seasons. He knows the depth of passion and the depth of commitment that, as an independent team, this team has put in to get two cars at the front of the grid. Mark knows that better than anybody,” said Horner.
“As a team member, he is an important part of the team and he has delivered his bit – as every other individual has today. Of course we will talk about it. If the air needs to be cleared, it will be cleared. But, he has been around long enough to know that as a sportsman difficult decisions have to be made.”
“We found ourselves in a situation we didn't want to be in with one wing, that we wanted to run – and whichever side of the garage it was going to go to, one side was going to be unhappy.”
“So therefore, I had to apply that logic – and I will stand by that logic. And we will stand by that at the next event, should we find ourselves in the same situation. It was done at very, very short notice. It was done probably 25 minutes before qualifying when we actually found out that the component was runable.”
“It was something that Adrian (Newey) was very keen to run for future development, and that was a decision that was made,” added the British team principal after the race.
Additionally, he referred to Webber's comments that he would have never signed a deal with Red Bull for 2011 had he known he will be treated this way. Horner expressed his doubts that Webber will leave the Austrian team at the end of the season.
“It is a throw-away comment by Mark – who has just won the British GP. I don't take that comment with any malice behind it. He was upset about the decision yesterday, and I can only imagine that he was disappointed he didn't get the wing yesterday. But I can't cut it in half.”
“Mark has not signed a contract as a number two driver. He knows the lengths that the team has gone to, with the weight difference between the two drivers, to try and achieve parity.”
“Mark has a contract with us for the future. We've provided him with a car that has enabled him to run at the front, win grands prix and challenge for the world championship. I doubt very much that he is going to be walk away from that.”
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