Mark Webber predicts that Ferrari's aggressive two-year contract with Raikkonen will be followed up by the Scuderia signing Sebastian Vettel for 2016.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports F1, which will air fully during their Singapore Grand Prix coverage, Webber was typically open and honest about his views on Raikkonen's recently announced return to Ferrari and what impact that will have on Finn's new team-mate Fernando Alonso.
The move has placed two 'number one' drivers at the Prancing Horse for the first time since 1953 and Webber reckons this is "a bit of a gamble."
However he thinks that the short-term contract that was announced earlier this week will lead to Sebastian Vettel moving to the Scuderia from Red Bull Racing in 2016.
He said: "It has to happen so this is the first step forward for them to get the team back in [title-winning form]. Constructors' is important, Ferrari winning that, and then the Drivers' Championship as well. So those two things have got to come together."
He added: "There are so many reasons why it's a bit of a gamble to help Ferrari. Two years for probably both of them actually I think. And then what they do after that obviously [is] pick Seb up off the back of Red Bull and they keep moving from there."
The Aussie thinks that the strategy is an aggressive statement to help them reclaim their position at the head of the pack: "But it's a very short-term aggressive statement from Ferrari to put the team at the front."
Webber believes that another advantage for Ferrari will be that Alonso will be - for once - pushed harder than ever before by his newly announced team-mate. He feels that this will help the team improve - particularly in qualifying, which he pin-points as the teams main weakness.
He explained: "They need Fernando to be pushed. He needs to be squeezed on Saturday afternoon to get the car further up the grid. That's why the car is phenomenal at starts and got all those other strengths because they think there is inherent weakness obviously in qualifying. Fernando over one lap needs to be pushed and that will help him on Saturday afternoon with Kimi being there."
Webber will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2013 season, returning to sports car racing with Porsche. He will be replaced at Red Bull Racing by countryman Daniel Ricciardo.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
The move has placed two 'number one' drivers at the Prancing Horse for the first time since 1953 and Webber reckons this is "a bit of a gamble."
However he thinks that the short-term contract that was announced earlier this week will lead to Sebastian Vettel moving to the Scuderia from Red Bull Racing in 2016.
He said: "It has to happen so this is the first step forward for them to get the team back in [title-winning form]. Constructors' is important, Ferrari winning that, and then the Drivers' Championship as well. So those two things have got to come together."
He added: "There are so many reasons why it's a bit of a gamble to help Ferrari. Two years for probably both of them actually I think. And then what they do after that obviously [is] pick Seb up off the back of Red Bull and they keep moving from there."
The Aussie thinks that the strategy is an aggressive statement to help them reclaim their position at the head of the pack: "But it's a very short-term aggressive statement from Ferrari to put the team at the front."
Webber believes that another advantage for Ferrari will be that Alonso will be - for once - pushed harder than ever before by his newly announced team-mate. He feels that this will help the team improve - particularly in qualifying, which he pin-points as the teams main weakness.
He explained: "They need Fernando to be pushed. He needs to be squeezed on Saturday afternoon to get the car further up the grid. That's why the car is phenomenal at starts and got all those other strengths because they think there is inherent weakness obviously in qualifying. Fernando over one lap needs to be pushed and that will help him on Saturday afternoon with Kimi being there."
Webber will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2013 season, returning to sports car racing with Porsche. He will be replaced at Red Bull Racing by countryman Daniel Ricciardo.
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