PlanetF1

Webber: We're all battling for second

Sunday 11-September-2011 15:14

A frustrated Mark Webber conceded that the rest of the pack are battling for second place in the Drivers' Championship as Sebastian Vettel has all but wrapped up the title.

Vettel claimed his eighth victory of the season at the Italian Grand Prix to stretch his lead to 112 points with just six races to go. Webber slipped to fourth in the standings, behind Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, after failing to finish at Monza.

The Australian admits the title is over and he, along with Alonso, Button and Lewis Hamilton are now chasing second place.

"I think we're all battling for second now; Seb needs to have a very, very incredibly disappointing end to the season for anybody to take the Championship off him," he said. "A missed opportunity for me but I'll come back in Singapore."

Webber retired on lap five at Monza after he made contact with Felipe Massa. He lost his nose and although he tried to nurse his ailing car to the pits for some repairs, he lost control and went into the barriers.

"I got a good run down the straight, tried to go around outside and Felipe started to come across," he explained to reporters. "I thought, 'I need to get out of here' but I didn't know he was going to come across.

"Into Turn 2 I started to bail out of the move but if you clip inside of the kerbs it launches the car. I think I made contact with him and then tried to get back to the pits but didn't know front wing was jammed under the front of the car. Then I lost the steering."

Related Links
Italian GP: Vettel storms to his eighth win of 2011