A friend and mentor of 2012 hopeful Jean-Eric Vergne has denied the Frenchman claims he is a better option for Red Bull than Mark Webber.<\/p>\n
21-year-old Vergne, the latest cream of Red Bull’s driver development programme, posted laptimes comparable to Australian Webber’s during the grand prix weekend when he tested in Abu Dhabi last week.<\/p>\n
He was subsequently quoted in a French language column: “I think if I was put in the Red Bull, I would do no worse than Webber.\u00a0 That’s my impression, anyway, after these tests.”<\/p>\n
Many criticised those comments as being arrogant as well as showing a lack of respect for race winner Webber, who is already signed up as Sebastian Vettel’s teammate for next season.<\/p>\n
Vergne’s mentor Renaud Derlot, who has been involved with Vergne’s career for the past seven years, told commentator Jean-Louis Moncet’s Auto Plus blog: “I can tell you that how the journalist quoted Jean-Eric is wrong.<\/p>\n
“I record everything he (Vergne) says and I was the only one to do it that day because the journalist did not.<\/p>\n
“I spoke with the journalist last night and he apologised not only to me but also to Jean-Eric,” added Derlot.<\/p>\n
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