Disappointment for Webber in Abu Dhabi season finale

A dramatic season finale in Abu Dhabi ended in disappointment for Mark. He came home in eighth place, behind Fernando Alonso, and ended the 2010 World Championship in third place with a total of 242 points.

“When you aim high and you miss the target,” says Mark, “the arrow’s got to go a long way down. I’m very disappointed by what happened on Sunday evening; I aimed for the biggest target in motorsport, the Formula One World Championship, and it didn’t work out.

“But there are still lots of positives to take out of the 2010 season. I’ve taken five pole positions, four victories and I’m even proud of some of my second places because they were well-executed race weekends. In due course, I’ll probably look back and think this season wasn’t a bad effort.”

Mark’s eighth place in the race was his worst result since the Chinese Grand Prix in April and it came about largely through a poor grid position. He lined up fifth, the lowest of the four championship contenders, and he never recovered from that handicap during the 55-lap race.

“It was my worst qualifying since the season-opener in Bahrain,” says Mark. “I struggled with a lack of grip in qualifying and then had the same problem at the start of the race. That’s why I pitted relatively early, on lap 11: I wanted to get some different rubber on the car to see if it would give me more speed.

“Unfortunately, I got stuck behind the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari as I exited the pits and the time I lost dropped me behind Fernando Alonso when he pitted four laps later. But that became academic because I was still behind Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg, who’d pitted while the Safety Car was out at the start of the race, and it’s very difficult to overtake at Yas Marina.”

The driver with no traffic problems was Sebastian Vettel. He won the race from pole position to claim the world championship by four points from Alonso.

“I’ve got to take my hat off to Sebastian because he’s done a good job this year,” says Mark. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve pushed each other and it’s always rewarding to get out of bed to do that. It’s amazing to think that the only time he led the championship was after the last race, but that’s the only time it matters. Well done to him.”

Mark heads to Austria this week for a press conference at Red Bull HQ with Vettel, Christian Horner and Adrian Newey, before taking a well earned rest.

“I’m reminded of that great adage,” he says. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Well, I’m still alive and I’m sure I’ll bounce back from this season a better driver. Right now, though, I need a good break. The gas has been wide open since the third week in January and it’s been a long season. There’s been a lot of travel, a lot of emotion and a lot of effort. It’s time for some time out.”