280 lines
8.9 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
280 lines
8.9 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sport
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motorsport
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formulaone
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redbull
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8391323
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-----
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# Red Bull driver Mark Webber determined not to slow down in he jostles for
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position in Formula One
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## There are certain things in Formula One you can always count on. Rain at
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Spa, for instance. Over-priced coffees in Monte Carlo. And no-nonsense answers
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from Mark Webber.
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![Red Bull driver Mark Webber determined not to slow down in he jostles for
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position in Formula One: Mark Webber][1]
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On the charge: Mark Webber is determined to keep fighting, even against his
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team-mate Photo: AFP
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[![Tom Cary][2]][3]
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By [Tom Cary][4] 11:00PM GMT 19 Mar 2011
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[Follow Tom Cary on Twitter][5]
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[Comments][6]
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Twice recently -- first when he refused to pussyfoot around the issue of
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whether there should be a grand prix in Bahrain this year ("they have bigger
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priorities right now") and then with his withering appraisal of Bernie
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Ecclestone's artificial sprinkler idea ("Jim Clark would be spinning in his
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grave") -- the Australian reminded us why he remains one of the most
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compelling characters on the grid.
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It has got to the stage where, if there is a burning issue in the sport he,
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more than any other, is the driver to seek out.
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Not that he makes a conscious effort to be political. "Ah look, mate, I don't
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feel particularly strongly about things," he shrugs.
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"It's just that generally when you're asked a straightforward question, as a
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bloke in your thirties you should be able to give an opinion. Let's face it,
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Bahrain was a pretty easy question to answer."
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Why is it, then, that no one else did so? At least, not until after the race
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was cancelled when suddenly everyone thought it was the "only possible"
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decision.
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## Related Articles
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* [F1 2011: team-by-team guide][7]
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19 Mar 2011
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* [Schumacher: Red Bull in driving seat][8]
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11 Mar 2011
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* [Schumacher eyes top step of podium][9]
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01 Feb 2011
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* [Hamilton defiant amid the gloom][10]
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12 Mar 2011
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* [Vettel commits to Red Bull][11]
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14 Mar 2011
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"I don't know. I guess some guys don't want to deal with the repercussions. I
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don't know why they should be so worried about taking, well, it's not even a
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stance. I just try to give an honest answer."
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Perhaps it is the fact that, at 34, Webber is long enough in the tooth not to
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worry about what people think of him? Perhaps it is that this Canberra kid,
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now an adopted son of Buckinghamshire with an English partner and his own
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gastro-pub, has straddled two eras in the sport?
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"I guess it has changed," he muses. "I think there used to be an element of
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trust, that maybe doesn't exist now with sections of the media.
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There wasn't the 24-hour rolling news and internet back in the day. These days
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it is harder to have that relationship with reporters.
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"People run with a story, maybe it is recycled 30 times and then there might
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be the language barrier as well. So I can understand why some guys might get a
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bit gun shy.
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"But I think it's important to be your own person. My Dad always said 'try not
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to say anything you'll regret and stick to what you think is right'. It's
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stood me in pretty good stead so far."
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Whatever it is, Webber and his thoughts will be sorely missed when they are
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gone. Now entering his 10th season in F1, and on a rolling year-by-year deal
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with **[Red Bull][12]**, it is unclear when that may be.
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Much will depend on his form this season. The question is: was 2010 a one-off?
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Webber's never-to-be-repeated shot at title glory when he had the best car and
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team-mate Sebastian Vettel was still wet behind the ears?
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The bookies appear to think so, placing the square-jawed, 6ft 2in Aussie
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fourth favourite for the title. Vettel, with the same wheels, is favourite.
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Or can he continue to prove his doubters wrong? Two wins in 2009, four wins in
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2010; his career certainly appears to be on an upward trajectory?
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"Ah, look," he says that with that unmistakable Australian drawl, "there is
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every reason to suggest we can do well again," Webber says. "But we have
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learned to deal with certain situations a little bit better so that we don't
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help our rivals."
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Webber is, of course, referring to the sometimes fractious spirit within the
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Red Bull camp last year, which provided the dominant narrative to a gripping
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campaign: his collision with team-mate Sebastian Vettel in Turkey; the "not
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bad for a No 2 driver" jibe at Silverstone; Webber's sensational claim in
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Brazil that his success was an "inconvenience" to an Austrian drinks company
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which wanted a 23 year-old German to land his maiden title.
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Webber says it will be different this time around. "I don't think I will be
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doing too much of that, to be honest, mate. It's hard enough as it is without
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putting that extra pressure on yourself."
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The irony, though, is that Webber's combative approach last year may be his
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best chance of success.
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Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner, admitted this week that Webber
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"feeds off adversity". Any suggestion that he is not getting the equal
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treatment he has been promised and you can be sure he will come out fighting.
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It is not a charge Webber denies. "I do like to be the underdog to a degree,"
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he says. "On the ropes a little bit. And of course there are tactics you can
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use to fire yourself up. But you can only take that so far.
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"Don't worry; I'll be competing this year again. Very, very hard. And
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sometimes that will be against Sebastian."
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One thing is certain, and that is that Webber is driving for his future at Red
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Bull. Horner made a point of saying so at a lunch earlier this week.
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"We're happy with our two drivers," he said. "But Mark knows that this year is
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a big year for him. When the time comes, if he still has the motivation and is
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competitive, then it will be logical to talk about extending his contract. But
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that will come later in the year. It's too early yet to say." Webber is
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sanguine in the face of such talk. He knows he beat Vettel on merit at times
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last year, particularly during a purple patch around Barcelona and Monaco.
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And as for slowing down, not a bit of it. After burning rubber in a PR stunt
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on Melbourne's Bolte Bridge yesterday, Webber heads to Hobart on Tuesday to
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relaunch the Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge, an adventure sports race which
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raises money for his foundation and which is returning this December after a
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three-year absence.
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"I'm enjoying myself," he says. "You need to have that drive. If they [Red
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Bull] start to sense you're losing that desire, then obviously it won't help
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me. Contract time I predict will be quite interesting."
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So will next Sunday's race around Albert Park where his best finish remains
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the fifth place he managed with Minardi on his home debut.
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With new Pirelli tyres this term, the return of KERS and the traditional
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threat of a safety car in Melbourne, Webber says the race is a more of a
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lottery than ever. And that's not something which suits Red Bull. "If you have
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a good car the only way you can go is backwards. But we're ready. I believe I
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can do it and hopefully the rest will take care of itself."
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When the lights go out in Melbourne a week today to kick start a mouth-
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watering season featuring five world champions, there won't be many giving
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Webber a chance of making it six by the time we reach Brazil in November.
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He prefers it that way. Just don't expect him to keep his thoughts to himself.
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[X][13] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][14]
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* Share: [Share][13] [ ][15] [ ][16]
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[Tweet][17]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/redbull/8391323/Red-
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Bull-driver-Mark-Webber-determined-not-to-slow-down-in-he-jostles-for-
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position-in-Formula-One.html
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Telegraph
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## [Red Bull][12]
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* ### [Sport »][18]
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* ### [Motorsport »][19]
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* ### [Formula One »][20]
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* ### [Tom Cary »][3]
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In sport
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[![Formula One 2011: Sebastian Vettel signs new Red Bull deal][21] ][11]
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### [Vettel commits to Red Bull][11]
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[![Red Bull driver Mark Webber determined not to slow down in he jostles for
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position in Formula One: Mark Webber][22] ][23]
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### [Webber refuses to back off][23]
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[![][24] ][25]
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### [F1 2011: full race schedule][25]
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[![Formula One, 2011: Team by Team guide: Red Bull][26] ][7]
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### [F1 2011: team-by-team guide][7]
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[![Follow Telegraph Sport on Twitter][27]][28]
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### [Follow Telegraph Sport on Twitter][28]
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[X][13] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][14]
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Share:
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* [ ][13]
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* [ ][15]
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* [ ][16]
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* [Tweet][17]
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* FORMULA ONE ACTION PHOTOS
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Advertisement
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![][29]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][30] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][31]
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Advertisement
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Formula 1 Drivers' championship: Latest standing in the Formula One drivers'
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championship.
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## MORE ON RED BULL
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### [Red Bull links][12]
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* [Red Bull Racing official][32]
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* [Mark Webber][33] | [Sebastian Vettel][34]
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Advertisement
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