Webber leaves Red Bull, Schumacher replaces him
Mark Webber announced on his website that he is leaving Red Bull with immediate effect. While the Austrian team regrets the Australian's departure, they reportedly did not wait long to find a replacement and could, according to the German press, officially appoint Michael Schumacher from the Chinese Grand Prix until the end of the season.
The Malaysian Grand Prix will have been Mark Webber’s last under the Red Bull colors. Sebastian Vettel’s apologies and the support of the team’s owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, were not enough to convince the Australian driver to continue the adventure alongside the German three-time world champion. Thus, after his father initially announced that Mark Webber would indeed be present in China, the 36-year-old driver announced on his website that he would not go to the end of his contract with Red Bull: « Despite the team’s support, I have decided to end the adventure with Red Bull. It will not have escaped anyone that what happened in Malaysia created a rift with Sebastian [Vettel] that I neither have the strength nor the desire to mend. I am sad to leave this great team but happy to have been able to write some of the most beautiful pages in the history of Formula 1 with them. I wish them success in winning the constructors’ title again; the guys deserve it, and I wish good luck to whoever replaces me. »
Naturally, the decision of the Australian is not without leaving a bitter taste for Christian Horner, the director of the Austrian team: « Since he joined us in 2007, Mark has significantly contributed to our success and I deeply regret that our collaboration is ending so abruptly after nearly seven rich and fruitful years. However, recent events have broken the trust relationship that Mark had with Sebastian and with the team. We have discussed extensively with him and assured him of our full support, but this did not overcome his determination. We still hope that other opportunities will soon open up for him. »
However, although they failed to convince Mark Webber to stay with the team, even just until the end of his contract, Red Bull has reportedly already found a replacement in Michael Schumacher. Indeed, according to the German publication Das auto, Helmut Marko and Christian Horner reportedly met the seven-time world champion over the weekend and are expected to meet him again today, this time at the team’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, to sign his contract as the main driver for the last 17 Grand Prix of the 2013 season.
Free of any contract after three seasons with Mercedes, the forty-something driver had signed with Tony Kart in the WSK Euroseries karting championship. However, on its official website, Tony Kart announced in a statement published this morning that the German withdraws from all races planned in his program: Michael Schumacher and Tony Kart have decided, by mutual agreement, to suspend their collaboration for the current season. The seven-time world champion will, however, remain the ambassador of our brand as he prepares to take on a new challenge.
An official announcement could therefore take place in the coming hours. Red Bull would thus field a team in Shanghai with a ten-time world champion crew, 100% German. Asked about this today by the Austrian television channel Servus TV, Hans-Joachim Stuck, president of the German Motorsport Federation, commented: « Sebastian [Vettel] has shown several times that he has nothing to envy from Michael [Schumacher], whether on the track or through his temperament: who wouldn’t dream of seeing both of them compete on equal terms? But we must remain cautious: as long as nothing has been made official, all this could very well be just an April Fool’s joke. »
[An article guaranteed 100% April Fool’s]
