Losers Webber, Alonso and Ferrari face reality of defeat

As Sebastian Vettel soaks up the spotlight, Mark Webber has admitted he is dreading the next few days.

According to the Australian press, he had booked a holiday straight after Abu Dhabi to Oman; a perfect spot to get over the disappointment of losing the world championship to his adversary and teammate.

Instead, he was ordered aboard a communal flight to Salzburg for energy drink Red Bull’s victory celebrations and press conference — and encouraged to pose happily with Vettel for a photograph as he prepares to wear the number 2 on his RB7 in 2011.

“It’s going to be a pretty tough few days,” the 34-year-old admitted to the Melbourne newspaper The Age.

Webber, who skipped Sunday’s jubilant garage scenes at Yas Marina circuit, said there will also be “an empty feeling” to the looming championship celebrations, even though he played his part in Red Bull’s constructors’ title.

“I’ve been involved in the team for a long time, and I know we’ve done some pretty good things over the last couple of years, but it’ll be hard,” he said.

“When the target’s that high and you just miss with the arrow, there’s a long way down emotionally,” admitted Webber.

Also down on Monday is F1’s other defeated championship challenger, Fernando Alonso, who admitted “waking up was hard” after losing his points lead the night before.

The Spaniard will feel even worse when he picks up the Italian newspapers. Corriere dello Sport called Ferrari’s strategy error an act of “hara-kiri”.

La Gazzetta dello Sport said the Italian team “threw away the title”, but the country’s Olympic committee president Giovanni Petrucci called for calm amid the criticism.

“You can also finish second in sports sometimes,” he insisted. “There are also opponents — congratulations to Red Bull and Vettel.”
 © RIF | GMM