F1: Departing Webber Not Ready For ‘Red Wine’ With Vettel

Mark Webber is not ready to spill the beans on the intriguing story of his "f***ing intense" title battle with Sebastian Vettel in 2010.

But as the Australian's long F1 career draws to a close this weekend in Brazil, Webber has hinted there was much more than meets the eye to 2010, during which he famously exclaimed "Not bad for a number 2 driver" after winning the British grand prix.

"Only those closest to me know what went into it," Webber, 37, told the Telegraph.

Asked if the truth will eventually come out, he insisted: "Not from me."

"Looking back I'm pretty proud of myself, the way it was kicking off and how I handled myself."

Silverstone was the epicentre of the fraught campaign, when a newer specification front wing was taken off Webber's car and put on eventual champion Vettel's.

But there was also the collision in Turkey, while Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary suggested Webber's once-close relationship with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner never fully recovered after the goings-on of 2010.

"To manage the whole scenario hasn't been super easy for the team," Webber conceded.

"We were in uncharted waters in 2010. 'F***, we're going for our first title. Holy sh**, how do we do it? Let them both go at it maybe? Oh no, maybe not'," said Webber.

Webber's relationship with Vettel only nosedived further in recent years, culminating in the notorious 'Multi-21' affair of early 2013 and eventually the veteran Australian's decision to retire and move to Le Mans.

Referring to 'Multi-21' and the loss of the Malaysian grand prix victory this year, Webber said: "There are blinkers and there are blinkers.

"I saw Michael (Schumacher)'s blinkers, too, and I don't think Seb's are as bad as that. I think in time, a stiff glass of red wine one day down the line, it will probably be ok with us. But it's hard at the moment," he admitted.

Some of Webber's closest paddock allies will wear t-shirts bearing the words 'Made My Mark' to farewell the popular driver into F1 retirement in Brazil.

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Button says teams should sign 'intelligent' Perez

Jenson Button has given his departing McLaren teammate Sergio Perez a strong recommendation as the Mexican seeks a new seat for 2014.

The 2009 world champion has admitted he was surprised when he learned the great British team had decided to oust Perez after just one season in favour of the in-house development rookie Kevin Magnussen.

Perez, 23, is now struggling to find an alternate seat for next season, but Button thinks he would be a wise signing by any team that is on the market for an "intelligent" and "complete" driver.

"I feel that Checo has learned a lot this year," Button is quoted by France's L'Equipe.

"McLaren did a very good job in providing everything necessary for him to achieve his objectives," he added. "To absorb everything at once can be very difficult, but Checo was able to do it."

When asked his opinion about the young Dane Magnussen, Button said of his new teammate: "The decision about who is in the other car is not mine.

"All I can say is that Checo did a great job this year. Any team with a seat available should consider him, because he is not only fast, he's also intelligent.

"He is a complete package," added Button.

This weekend in Brazil, 33-year-old Button will become the most experienced British driver in formula one history by competing in his 247th grand prix.

But at the end of an appalling season for McLaren, the Briton admitted he is not too excited about beating David Coulthard's old record.

"I am obviously doing something right if I've been around that long," Button is quoted by the Mirror.

"It's interesting more than anything else. Right now a podium would mean a lot more than reaching 247."

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Hamilton, Rosberg disagree over Massa's Williams move

F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are split over whether Felipe Massa's move to Williams is a boost to the departing Ferrari driver's career.

Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, likened Massa's move after a long stint with Ferrari to his own decision to leave McLaren and join Mercedes this year.

"It's a great opportunity for Felipe," said the Briton, who was almost beaten to his title by Massa in a thrilling Interlagos finale five years ago.

"He was at Ferrari for a very long time," Hamilton is quoted by Brazil's Globo.

"And that is good in some ways, but going somewhere else - trying something new and working with new people - will be refreshing for him.

"It will be like fresh air for him, as it was for me," he added.

"And they (Williams) will have a good engine (Mercedes) next year," Hamilton continued.

"So I think it could be a turning point for him."

Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, however, has a slightly different view. Before joining Mercedes in 2010, Rosberg began his career at Oxfordshire based Williams, for whom he drove for four years.

"I think it will be quite difficult for him," the German said.

"To leave a team like Ferrari, where everything is possible, to go to Williams, he will find that everything is much more limited," said Rosberg.

"It will be difficult for him to adapt to being in a smaller team," he added.

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Alonso not Ferrari 'number 1' - Montezemolo

Having given Fernando Alonso "eight out of ten" for his 2013 season, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo now insists the Spaniard is not the famous Italian team's number 1 driver.

"I don't like number 1, number 2," he told CNN.

Alonso, who has had an often fraught relationship with Montezemolo this year and flirted with moves to Red Bull and McLaren, has been controversially paired for 2014 with Ferrari's last world champion, Kimi Raikkonen.

But Brazilian Felipe Massa, who has been regarded as Ferrari's number 2 in recent years, was clearly Alonso's preferred teammate going forwards.

"Alonso knows that he drives to win for himself, but also for Ferrari," Montezemolo insisted.

"Ferrari is a team and I want drivers (who) will drive and will act and react as a team member, not only one man," he added.

Montezemolo also dismissed suggestions Alonso, who infamously clashed with Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2007, will not get along with Finn Raikkonen.

"I don't want to say that they are old," he smiled, "but I'm sure (they will get along), yes."

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