- 27 Jun 13, 19:29#364166Christian Horner has revealed that he only found out about Mark Webber's decision to leave Red Bull and Formula One on the morning that the news broke.
Webber will drive sports cars for Porsche next year, turning his back on Red Bull after seven years of service. The team had to issue a reactionary press release after Porsche announced the news on Thursday morning, and Horner said he only talked to his driver as the story was breaking.
"I had a call from Mark this morning at about 9 o'clock and I spoke to him and he said that he'd reached this decision," he said. "An hour's notice is a bit short, but a decision for a driver to retire can only come from him and Mark is quite a private person and he's reached this decision and communicated it today.
"For us it makes very little difference, but to call time on a career that's lasted over ten years is a big decision for any driver. He's removed himself from speculation, he's made his intentions clear and he's removed himself as a candidate [for a Red Bull drive] by announcing his new contract with Porsche.
"It's a difficult decision to know when is the right time to stop and we only have to respect that that is his decision and wish him the best of luck for the future."
Horner said the workers at Red Bull's factory would likely be more upset by the short notice than he was.
"He's obviously decided to take things into his own hands and I think the guys in the factory are probably a bit more disappointed that they read it on the internet than heard something direct. That's the way things are sometimes."
However, in a Q&A on his website Webber revealed that he had talked to Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz before the announcement, leaving Horner out of the loop.
"I haven't spoken to Dietrich today, I spoke with Mark this morning," Horner confirmed. "The final call sits with Dietrich on driver decisions but it's something that we discuss within the team and then we present our decision to Dietrich and he's always supported it. Mark has done a great job for the team but decided early on and I think that's a positive thing for the team because he's counted himself out as far as next year's concerned.
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This isn't Webber getting sick of F1, it's Webber who got sick of Redbull. Very clear to me at least.
Breaking News:Lewis Hamilton has officially overtaken The Fonz in race wins. With 88 races less. Lol(Without a specially built blown diffuser, illegal front wing, preferential treatment)