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Webber Denies Intentional Move on Barrichello

Although he became only the 3rd Australian driver to win a grand prix in Formula One, Mark Webber was not completely happy with how things went during Sunday's German Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing driver insisted that it was not his intention to hit Rubens Barrichello's sidepod after the start and argued the stewards' decision was a bit harsh.

The Brawn GP driver got the inside of Webber after the start, but the Aussie dived into the Brazilian's car, trying to close him before Turn 1. This move later brought him a drive-through penalty from the race officials, which almost ended his chances of scoring his first F1 win. However, Webber insisted that he was unaware of the fact that Barrichello was on the inside when bumping him.

It is not really my style,” said Webber, regarding his move after the start. “I moved across and then what made it worse was that I shitted myself and came back across again and I thought 'my God, there he is'. That's what made it look maybe a little bit worse than it was,” added Webber at the press conference after the race.

The Australian eventually managed to keep a strong pace throughout his first stint, before making his drive-through appearance in the pit lane. He admitted frustration over the stewards' decision, revealing that he was on the verge of incurring another penalty for pit lane speeding.

I was quite frustrated. In the end it turned out okay but it could have been a different story,” added the Australian driver. Thanks to Rubens Barrichello's pit stop problems – a fuel rig caused the Brazilian plenty of time during his second pit stop – and Brawn GP's obvious tire-temperature issues, Webber was able to rejoin the track as a leader after his second pit stop and never let go of it until the chequered flag.
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