Webber hits reverse after 'nanny state' controversy

Mark Webber has shifted into reverse gear after slamming F1 host state Victoria as a "bloody nanny state".

The Australian, irritated at local overregulation such as the prevalence of speeding and parking fines, made the comment in the wake of Lewis Hamilton's famous run-in with Melbourne police in March.

Then, when the formula one circus had moved on to Malaysia, Webber's father Alan and manager/partner Ann Neal posed with a group of fans wearing T-shirts bearing the words 'Victoria The Nanny State!'

One newspaper reader wrote at the time: "So this is the message from Mark Webber to the families who have lost loved ones on the roads this Easter. What a bloody disgrace."

Another added: "Don't come back Webbers. You are not welcome in my state."

The local Herald Sun newspaper said 33-year-old Webber's management has now written a letter to the government offering to have the Red Bull driver front a road safety campaign.

"It's something Mark is passionate about," Neal said. "It's not a knee-jerk reaction to the press he's had, it's something he has always done."

A government spokesman said Webber's offer was being considered.

Source: F1 Complete

Alonso would repeat 'risky' Massa passing move

Fernando Alonso's overtaking move on his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa in China recently was "incredibly risky", according to Mark Webber.

Australian Webber, who is known to be a friend of the Spanish double world champion, was commenting on Alonso's controversial move in the Shanghai pit entry that left his relationship with Massa the subject of speculation.

"It was very hard against your teammate, if fair, but also incredibly risky and incredibly opportunistic," said Webber, who drives for Ferrari's championship rival Red Bull.

"It could have been quite confusing for the team, because they needed to switch the tyres around. And I'm not sure I'd want to risk walking into the factory having taken both cars out at the entry to the pitlane," he added.

"That would have been a pretty serious one to try and get over. But in the end it turned out ok for Fernando and he got away with it," said Webber.

Last week, 28-year-old Alonso hit out at the fact that the move and its after-effects were still in the headlines.

"What is clear is that two weeks after a race you can't keep talking about such unimportant things, so I'm going to refuse to answer," he is quoted as saying by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

And in a more recent interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera, Alonso was asked if he would repeat the pit entry move in light of the criticism it has generated.

"Absolutely yes," he answered.

Source: F1 Complete

Hamilton defiant after criticism in drivers' briefing

Lewis Hamilton and his McLaren boss sounded defiant after the 25-year-old was chided by his fellow drivers on Friday.

In the wake of his weaving in front of Vitaly Petrov's Renault in Malaysia two weeks ago, some of Hamilton's rivals rallied to make clear their view that he should have received an actual penalty rather than a mere warning.

The drivers confronted Briton during a meeting late on Friday, and are believed to have pushed FIA race director Charlie Whiting to impose drive-through penalties for similar driving infractions in the future.

But Hamilton told British newspapers that he did nothing wrong.

"My feeling is that if you are defending into a corner and you weave more than once, that is illegal, but I am not aware that trying to break the tow was illegal," he said.

He also hinted that he felt his opponents had fixated on the Petrov incident.

"Maybe they should raise Mark Webber's incident in Melbourne. I didn't raise that," said Hamilton, referring to when the Australian driver drove into the back of his McLaren.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh defended Hamilton, insisting that the 2008 world champion is "entirely safe" despite racing "passionately", but new GPDA chairman Nick Heidfeld insists that weaving on straights should not be condoned.

"I don't know if it was dangerous in this case, but it can be in some circumstances," said the German.

Source: F1 Complete