The rumours surrounding the future of Mark Webber continue to swirl. However the Australian driver has denied that he has had any contact with Ferrari over replacing Felipe Massa next season.
“Every man and his dog has been linked, from Sebastian (Vettel) to Lewis (Hamilton) to myself — all sorts of drivers,” he told the Melbourne tabloid Herald Sun.
The 35-year-old Australian has had only single-year contracts at Red Bull for the past few seasons, and another one for 2013 appears on the cards.
“I think we’ve done a lot together,” Webber said.
But with some better recent form in his pocket, including a second win on the streets of prestigious Monaco, the veteran of approaching 200 grands prix admits to feeling “really relaxed”.
“It’s a good problem to have if there’s some other people interested,” said Webber. “Ferrari, I haven’t heard from them myself, but people want to speculate.”
He said Massa has had a “rough run” so far in 2012, and does not deny that the seat opposite Fernando Alonso at F1’s most famous team is an attractive one.
“It’s not just another team,” said Webber of Ferrari. “Everyone knows that.”
But he warned the rumour-mongers to keep calm.
“I spoke to McLaren years ago. Didn’t happen,” said Webber. “I’m very happy at Red Bull. This is part of F1 — there’s always going to be rumours and speculation. But, at the end of the day, I think I’ve driven for two teams in the past seven years. I’ve been pretty stable.”
Webber denied the fact he is reportedly ‘good mates’ with Alonso could increase his chances of a Ferrari deal.
“I haven’t had one dinner with Fernando, socially. I don’t know what ‘good mates’ relates to,” he said. “We get on well, we talk to each other. Most drivers don’t even do that, so I suppose they think we get along like a house on fire,” he smiled.
One of his bosses, Dr Helmut Marko, hinted this week that Red Bull is not inclined to break up a winning team, even if Webber’s relationship with Vettel has not always been roses.
“Obviously, Sebastian and I have been settled now for a long time,” Webber agreed. “We know each other well.”
Source:GMM
