What happened to Webber?

[esorniloc]

Why did Webber end up in 10th spot?

[ASCII Man]

Many mistakes.

[Kicking-back]

Heidfeld was 9th as well - both fell a long way back in the race - I wonder if they are over-using the tyres with that car?

[BSchneiderFan]

It was a scrappy drive, wasn't it? There were times when he just looked average - and I say that as someone who rates him very highly.

[Peter Mallett]

And beaten by Nick H too (again). I'm sure there was a car problem.

[marcel82]

maybe because he was stuck behind Trulli for the majority of the race? maybe his ribs hurted too much after all the bouncing on the curbs? maybe the car was too slow?

could be anything. we'll have to wait and see what he himself has to say abut it

[Kicking-back]

Maybe he's not as good as some people think he is?

[Craig]

Isn't Webber the next big thing? Reminds me of Heinz-Harold Frentzen... lot's of talk by his fans, some promise, but a real lack of big results.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Craig

Isn't Webber the next big thing?

I understand that to be the fact of the matter. Yes.

[Craig]

Maybe when people say that they actually mean tall rather than big?

[Peter Mallett]

Ah, yes. You could have it there.

[garcon]

Ooh put those handbags away boys!

It seems Williams have some catching up to do - if Webber had driven the race of his life he'd still have been nowhere near that elusive podium.

But as it turned out, he compounded the car's problems by making far too many errors, at least two of which cost him a place - to Sato then to Villeneuve. Great pass on Sato on the first lap though, so I guess that cancels that one out!

[Peter Mallett]

Oh you mean this is a serious question?

He wasn't very good today and you are right the Williams isn't up to much either. Now here is a question.

Last year the Jag was pretty awful and it was (we are told) only because Webber was peddling it that it was any good in some races. What if its the other way around?

[fast95pony]

Too many shrimps on the barbie before the race ??

[Gaz]

Webber's proving he aint this superstar he's been built up to be. I find him nothing more than an average driver who can now and again stick a good qualifying lap in.

As a racer, hes very scrappy and inconsistent, oh and full of excuses!

[ralf fan]

Maybe he over cooked his tyres in that long train behind Trulli....

will be interesting to see his post-race statement...

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Webber is really in the same catagory as drivers like Montoya and Sato, amazingly fast at times and capable of some outstanding passes but more often than not fails to string it all together consistently. Montoya is only now starting to shed that image.

[Refutation]

I think Sato is in a class above Webber. Montoya also,for Obvious reasons.

Sato has scored a Podium finish
Sato has more World championship points 41 to Webbers 33

[dsg]

I'm sorry, I seem to be in the Webber bashing thread, can someone point me to the thread that dicusses why both the Williams were so bad in this race.

[Knowlesy]

Webber has underwhelmed again really.

I still expect him to be pretty handy in future, but.....

I mean, all this talknof podiums and he hasn't achieved higher than a fifth yet!

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Refutation

I think Sato is in a class above Webber. Montoya also,for Obvious reasons.

I'm a huge Sato fan, I wasn't saying that Webber is any better or worse than either Sato or Montoya but that his whole way of driving and performing is similar.

[GTRMagic]

The Williams were slow.. they also fought each other from the little coverage we saw of them.... is there any point doing that from 9th & 10th place?

The car seems to eat rear tyres... the first couple of laps are mega... then they fall off around a second a lap or so... and get progressively worse thru the afternoon, especially after a pitstop.

It has me wondering if a medically-induced replacement may be on the cards?

[Refutation]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

I'm a huge Sato fan, I wasn't saying that Webber is any better or worse than either Sato or Montoya but that his whole way of driving and performing is similar.

Well I wasn't trying to knock Webber down or anything,nothing would make me happier then to see Mark score a podium finish or better.He's got it in him somewhere,he's a lot like Tomas Scheckter in the way he's a brilliant driver,but luck and sometimes a lack of concentration bites him in the rear.

[BSchneiderFan]

I'd forgotten he was nursing a broken rib. I suppose that may have been a factor, given a) the heavy braking, and b) Imola's high kerbs. Has Webber commented yet?

[Canberra>karter]

Am I mistaken or is this supposed to be an F1 forum with educated people?

Webber's race was very dissapointing yes but some perspective is needed. The pitstop stategy was a thing from a nightmare, I threw my cushion at the tv when they pitted him with Trulli. Wasn't it obvious that doing so would clearly be a race ruining moment? sure they may have thought they could beat Toyota in the pits but that is a hell of a risk too take. IMO Webber should have aborted the pit when he saw Trulli dive in to the pit lane, even if he run wide and lost a spot he would have been better off.
This left him tucked under the ever slowing Trulli, accelerating tyre wear and sapping driver motivation leading to minor but costly mistakes.
I even think they pitted him on the same lap again as Trulli for the second pit stop. No wonder he then faded back into the clutches of Heidfield who also was having a dismal day.

If anyone fails too see how badly this hurt Webber just have a look at MS's race. He had well over 2 seconds a lap on RS, but didn't get past. If he had pitted the same laps as RS we would have been sitting here wondering why the Ferrari was so slow!

Williams gets a big VERY POOR EFFORT!

Alonso gets a big FANTASTIC EFFORT!