Raging Bull – Silverstone 2008
British Grand Prix -- 13:59 Saturday 5th July
Mark Webber is renowned for his strong qualifying ability which has become something of a trademark for the Aussie in his seven-year F1 career. Red Bull Racing’s qualifying miracle worker has a habit of comfortably sticking the car into Q3 and from there, usually scoring points come Sunday afternoon.
So when Webber made it to the last qualifying session at the 2008 British Grand Prix things looked fairly normal. Until, in the surprise of the session, Webber went fastest of all, to a collective intake of breath from the paddock and a cheer in the grandstands. Admittedly Kovalainen burst his bubble somewhat when he took his first pole position shortly afterwards, but Webber had just slotted his Red Bull into second -- the first ever front-row start for the team.
This was no light-fuel run either. Webber was carrying a sensible fuel load and just one lap lighter than Kovalainen in the superior McLaren Mercedes. Which makes Webber’s run all the more better -- he drove the RB4 to the limit, to perfection. And therefore, my highlight of the season. Yes, better than Coulthard’s podium in Canada or Webber’s fourth place struggle in Monaco.
Ironically, this would also be Red Bull’s absolute peak before things began to slide in the second-half of the season and the team were leapfrogged by those fighting in the midfield pack. That aside, there is no doubting Webber’s qualifying credentials. Fingers-crossed next year’s RB5 is a car capable of wins, something he thoroughly deserves.
F1Wolf
Adam Milleneuve
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Ollie
It was a great lap. But will he be fit enough to repeat this performance next year?
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Ye of little faith!
Fortunately (if you can say that) he broke his right leg and not his left (braking) leg, which requires a lot of strength. That plus the Red Bull RB5 won’t be unveiled and tested until Feb and the season starts later this year… he should be fit in time.
As to whether the car will be able to allow him to repeat his performance is another story!
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unfortunatelly if my memory serves me right on Sunday he was one of the first to spin on that wet track and at the end finished out of the points
but that qualifying run was great, ther is no argument about that …
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True, but he was also one of the quickest on the track until electing not to change tyres at his first pit stop on lap 18. And from there on, Red Bull’s season went into a freefall nosedive!
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