Mercedes boss: 'Drivers don't run racing teams'

Here's another sign that somebody at Red Bull Racing is going to read the riot act to Mark Webber as a result of his behaviour at last weekend's British Grand Prix.

Other teams are starting to weigh in on the controversy, in which Webber belly-ached all weekend after a new and improved front wing was taken off his car and put on the car being driven by his teammate, Sebastien Vettel.

After Webber won the race, he continued to stick in the needle, telling team principal Christan Horner over the radio: "Not bad for a No. 2 driver."

Nick Fry, chief executive of the Mercedes team, says that Red Bull must make clear to its drivers that they are not in charge.

"Drivers are a vital part of the team but they're not the team and that needs to be clear," he is quoted by the Sun newspaper.

"As soon as the lunatics start running the asylum you have big problems," he added.

Comments

[Bill Taylor]

You have to sympathize with Webber, though. Right now, as far as Red Bull goes, the lunatics ARE running the asylum. That needs to change rather more urgently than Webber's attitude. Good losers don't win.

[Adam]

And who exactly Nick Fry is and why his opinion quoted??

He is a lame-duck between Ross Brawn and Norbert Haug. He is certainly not the one who is calling the shots in that team!

[paul]

Yes of course Webber should shut up and just drive.
And then Schumaker er um Vettel I meant can have the pathway he seems ordained to have.
Maybe Red Bull should have looked at Barrichello and then they would have had a compliant #2 for the cocky little German.
If you don't stand up for yourself WHO will?

[David White]

Absolutely Paul.....Webber personifies the Canadian spirit...we need a young Canadian driver in the series!!!!

[DJL]

When Red Bull moved the new and improved wing from Webber's car to Vettel's they made a very public statement about how they felt about Webber. This after the senior management at Red Bull publicly blamed Webber for running into Vettel in Turkey. Regardless of whether Webber really was responsible, RB should never have publicly criticize one of their drivers (or any member of their team) that way. They should have said it was a matter to be handled internally and then handled it internally.

If RB management are going to make public statements about their driver's performance, and publicly show preference for one driver over another (especially when it's only half way through the season and neither driver is clearly dominating in the points), then they shouldn't be surprised when the drivers start making public statements of their own. Especially if that driver feels they have been publicly mistreated, and most especially if they've been promised by management that they weren't going be treated as a 2nd string driver.

Frankly I think RB have just shot themselves in the foot. In every race where they've held the front row at the start of the race, Vettel has been very aggressive about shutting the door on Webber in the first turn (as he tried to do again in Britain), and up until Silverstone it's seemed pretty obvious that Webber had chosen discretion as the better part of valour and done whatever was necessary to keep both cars in the lead, even if this meant giving up the lead to Vettel. In this last race, he refused to yield, and Vettel ended up going off the track. I think that from now on you can expect that Webber will refuse to yield to Vettel, and if that results in another crash, I don't think Mark will be too put out. RB have proven they don't care about Mark, so why should he put the team ahead of his own interests.

[Peter]

Webber should concentrate on his performance and make a good position in the team. He need to prove himself. After coming 2nd in the race i think he is capable of fair treatment in the team. In F1 their is favoritism, they want a particular driver to win because it is good for their points to rise and the team will benefited form it.

[Kevan]

Just remember a guy by the name of Villeneuve(sic). This is what happens when one thinks that they are better than the team. That said, Drivers should NEVER be told to give way to a teammate, no matter what, look at Ferrari, that german would never have won as many titles as he did if it were not for team rules.

[suvie]

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[dj]

I could see Vettal going to Mercedes,but Webber just signed on for two more years knowing he be 2nd driver .