F1: Webber reveals ‘amazing’ interest from rival teams

Mark Webber has contradicted recent reports that said he re-signed with Red Bull for 2012 because he had no other options.

The Australian revealed that, in fact, the interest expressed by rival teams when he was still on the market was "amazing".

Webber, 34, has had a difficult season alongside Sebastian Vettel, failing to win a Grand Prix compared with his dominant teammate's ten so far.

"What was amazing this year was the amount of response I had from other teams when I was about to sign with Red Bull," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

"They were very, very interested in having a chat to me, which was another little reminder to me that things were going pretty well."

Webber therefore leaves the door open to switching teams after next season, saying he considers retirement to be "incredibly overrated".

"I'll go again next year, (but) to say where I'll head in 2013 and 2014, we need to another six months and see how we go," he said.

As for 2012, he insists that F1's youngest ever back-to-back reigning world champion Vettel is beatable.

"Yes, it's possible, absolutely. I've seen enough, and knowing how close it is, it's possible," said Webber.

(GMM)

Vergne and Aussie Ricciardo in running for 2012 - Tost

Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost has admitted four drivers are in the running to fill the team's two race seats in 2012.

It was already known that the second Red Bull team's current drivers, Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, could lose their seats at the end of the season.

Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne kicked off his new Friday driving duties in Korea last weekend, and another Red Bull-backed hopeful is the Australian rookie Daniel Ricciardo, who currently drives for HRT.

"Jean-Eric is one of four drivers - with Buemi, Alguersuari and Ricciardo - that Red Bull is thinking about placing with Toro Rosso next year," team principal Tost told the French daily L'Equipe.

"We will take our decision in December.  It's really open and Jean-Eric is a possibility for 2012," the Austrian added.

Vergne, runner-up in this year's Renault World Series, said in Korea that he expects to have a job at Toro Rosso next season.

"I like his driving style," confirmed Tost. 

"He has already demonstrated in the World Series his mastery of the car and his aggressiveness."

Tost revealed that another Frenchman is also in talks with Toro Rosso.

"We are negotiating with Charles Pic," said Tost, referring to the 21-year-old GP2 driver.

"There is a possibility that Charles will run a test with us during the days reserved for young drivers in Abu Dhabi."

(GMM)

Ferrari development back on track for 2012

The race failed to yield even a podium place for the famous team, but Korea showed that Ferrari is getting back on track.

That is the claim of team boss Stefano Domenicali, who referred to the successful debut of a new front wing raced to fifth place by Fernando Alonso.

The part, based on the 2012 car philosophy, was not necessarily much faster than the conventional wing run to sixth place by Felipe Massa.

But according to Domenicali, the "data obtained in the wind tunnel matched the data seen throughout the (race) weekend, so it's a good sign.  There is no doubt," AS newspaper quotes him as saying.

He was referring to Ferrari's earlier troubles with the correlation of information between the wind tunnel and the track.

Spaniard Alonso hopes the team can provide him with a good car for 2012.

"I do not need the best car to win the world championship, just a competitive one," he is quoted as saying.

(GMM)