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[bud]

The only 'liability' would come from a team mate who cant accept those terms.

Fernando "Cough"

[racechick]

Hamilton would be a liability.

Er. Yeah right.

A liability to Vettels success?

Yes

[andrew]

Hamilton would be a liability.

Er. Yeah right.

All Lewis wants is a car that can deliver, or is thereabouts and equal status with his team mate-he'll do the rest. The only 'liability' would come from a team mate who cant accept those terms.

See, you need to look at all of my comment rather than just one part to suit you own Hamiltonian agenda. So I'll explain my point again!

The liability is a no. 2 who doesn't accept that they are a no. 2 and does not play the supporting role that they have been hired to do. Once Vettel has been lured away to the dark side (Ferrari) then, and only then, will Hamilton have a chance to go to Red Bull but I just can't see him ever leaving McLaren.

[bud]

Hamiltons had to have equal footing with Button, Both drivers have not complained of the other being favoured in the 1.5 years together. Like RC said Lewis can have a WDC come in as team mate, im sure Vettel wouldnt be so welcoming of Lewis... So really who will be the liability?

[andrew]

Hamiltons had to have equal footing with Button, Both drivers have not complained of the other being favoured in the 1.5 years together. Like RC said Lewis can have a WDC come in as team mate, im sure Vettel wouldnt be so welcoming of Lewis... So really who will be the liability?

None of us know what happens behind closed doors. The way I see it is Red Bull have their arguments in public but McLaren to me seem a lot more professional in this respect and keep matters like this private.

[bud]

pity McLaren couldnt do that in 07 eh

only time ive seen any signs of anger was at Turkey last season. But things like taking Buttons front wing to put on Lewis' car would never happen at McLaren. Jenson only joined the team on the provision it wasnt going to be team orders. He has been vocal on the subject, and he would have said something by now if he felt hard done by.

[GRHinPorts]

I suspect Red Bull know they cannot get Hamilton for 2012, and whilst their long term plans are probably with Ricciardo they probably correctly (although not certainly) deduce it would be two big a step for him to make up in 2012. So if they let Mark slip through their fingers they know they will left with a clear B driver for next year where is what they really want is an A- driver.

i.e. someone who can race around in Vettels wheel tracks, keeping him honest and pushing the teams pace forward (which I dont believe is what Ferrari quite get from Massa for instance) but just being a few tenths behind the "team leader".

Do they even want him? I doubt it given the amount of drivers tehy already have on their books. besides, Hamilton would be a liability. Like Webber, he can only see as far as the end of his own nose and I can't see him playing the team game.

I think Red Bull misguidedly want two quick drivers in their cars and would believe they could control the Vettel-Hamilton dynamic. Contrary to what many will believe (especially after Silverstone) I dont think the team is simply interested in being a Sebastian Vettel benefit society.

In any case I think its simply not going to happen. Hamilton is contracted to McLaren for 2012 and Red Bull have Mark Webber (who adequately fills the brief they currently want) who most likely is going to want to stay in the fastest car in F1.

As to predictions as to how such a Vettel-Hamilton at Red Bull pairing might have turned out, in terms of one driver or the other getting the upper hand,well at this stage I think that its all just fan speculation that I'd be wary of accepting myself. I would though feel pretty certain it would all end in tears one way or the other, and come 2013 this is exactly what we may find out.

[spankyham]

Mark Webber To Have Show Down Meeting With Red Bull Owner Dietrich Mateschitz

EXCLUSICE: LG sponsored Australian formula one driver Mark Webber, is heading to Austria for a secret show down meeting with Red Bull racing team owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

Webber has told close friends in England that he believes his car is being "restricted" and that he has been given a slower car to drive this season than his fellow driver Sebastian Vettel.

Mark Webber with LG executive Tim Barnes at an event in Sydney last year.

Webber who was "angry" that he was ordered to "retain the gap" behind Vettel in last week's formula one grand prix at Silverstone has told family friends that he will not sign with the Red Bull team until he has had a meeting with team owner Dietrich Mateschitz. The meeting is set to take place next week before the German Grand Prix.

Privately Webber has said that he is not happy with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner who he believes is showing favouritism to Vettel.

A close friend of Webber said "He believes that he has a slower car, he wants to discuss the issue directly with Mateschitz the owner of the team. He said that Mateschitz's attitude to him being in the team will determine whether he signs with Red Bull in 2012".

Webber told BBC Sport: "The team and I are talking about whether I continue with Red Bull in 2012 and its positive.

"What happened on Sunday does not turn my world upside down."

During the final five laps of the race at Silverstone, which was won by Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, Webber was told over the team radio to "maintain the gap" behind Vettel, even though the Australian appeared to have superior pace to the German.

Webber revealed afterwards that he had ignored the order but was unable to pass championship leader Vettel in the final laps and finished third.

[darwin dali]

Tempest in a teapot (or storm in a teacup for you Brits )

[racechick]

Juicy little storm though That thread about a conspiracy though isnt sounding quite so far fetched now. Lewis..... KEEP AWAY!!

[spankyham]

It's easy to look good when everything's going right for you. Teams are tested when the going gets tough, which it has been for SF all 2011 until 2 Sundays ago, and to a lesser extent, for McLaren for 2011.

It will be very interesting to see what happens at RB when it gets a little tough and they have to front up to a few races where they know they aren't going to be competitive. I wonder whether this Webber contract episode will give us any sort of insight?

[What's Burning?]

Dominant cars and bags of money go a long way in contract negotiations but let me tell you, if Webber really does believe that Red Bell is giving him different engine mappings, then there's little good faith going in there. Yes I couldn't agree with you more about the good times. Everything is rosy when you're winning by a mile.

[f1ea]

While Webber didnt 'obey' the team orders at Silverstone... he still did not do anything silly and forced a move/crash... he did what he had to do, and i'm sure the team regardless of the situation would not take that as a bad thing.

The one thing that would put his seat in real danger is either Webber simply falling flat, or one of the Toro Rosso or RB Academy guys showing up some impressive performances, for the time being that hasnt happened... Webber had his golden chance last season, as he was pretty comfortable in the car, this yr it seems he's not dialed in the tires 100%......

[Big Azza]

For the life of me, I cannot understand why Red Bull would deliberately toy with Webber's car to make him slower.

I have so many things to say, and I keep writing paragraphs and paragraphs of rants about how I feel about the Webber Fans and Vettel Haters, particularly in Australia, but then I just keep deleting it all to avoid a blitzkrieg. So I'm just going to leave it at these three sentences and tell you that this notion, I think, is absolutely illogical.

[andrew]

For the life of me, I cannot understand why Red Bull would deliberately toy with Webber's car to make him slower.

The best answer is usually the most obvious. They ain't making Webber slower, he himself is slower than Vettel. Simple as that. 'Nuff said.