Australian Mark Webber was relaxed and happy on Monday as he looked ahead to his summer holidays — and a final seven-race scrap for this year’s driver’s world title.
The 33-year-old Red Bull driver kept his feet firmly on the ground in the aftermath of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix victory — his fourth this season — and his takeover of the lead in the championship.
“There’s a long way to go and everything to play for,” he said. “I’m not thinking about it now. I’m going to take a few weeks off and then come back to fight on!”
Webber is four points ahead of 2008 champion Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren after 12 of this season’s 19 races, but recognised that his lead is slim.
“It’s good to be leading the points standings, but there are still a lot of chapters to come in this world championship battle.
“The top five drivers are separated by 20 points, which is nothing. It’s the equivalent of just eight points under last year’s points system.”
Commenting on his website, he added: “There’s everything to play for, but not until I’ve turned my phone off and had a couple of weeks’ holiday! I’ll be in touch again before Spa [Belgium GP].
“It feels great to go into the summer break on the back of a win.
“I had to drive what was effectively a three-part race because I didn’t pit for tyres when the safety car came out early on, but the strategy paid off and I won the race pretty easily in the end.”
Webber now has 161 points to lead the title race ahead of Hamilton on 157, his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel on 151 and defending champion Jenson Button on 147. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari is fifth on 141.
Red Bull lead the constructors championship with 312 points ahead of McLaren on 304. — Sapa-AFP