Greater Noida: They have a healthy 77-point lead over Ferrari with just four races left in the season but Red Bull driver Mark Webber says they are not taking the constructors' title for granted and "hunger" for success is still there in them. "Hunger is still there as every race is a new challenge for us. We would like to win every race to end the season on a high," Webber told PTI in an interview here.
"Yes, we have a good lead at the constructors' table to the day. Everyone associated with the team has put in a massive effort to take us where we are right now. There would be nothing more satisfying than to win the teams' championship three years in a row. "It's a very special achievement for Red Bull. The next two events are very important that we keep our foot on their throats and see how the next few go. We are not looking at the points really. We need to reap in the maximum from the races ahead," Weber said.
The early part of the season witnessed some strong finishes among Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari but in the last five races, Red Bull has zoomed past its nearest rivals as Sebastian Vettel recorded three straight victories in Singapore, Japan and Korea. Asked about the turnaround, the 36-year-old Australian replied, "We have a good understanding of the cars now and we have done a lot of research and developments in the last two three months."
"This has been not easy for us. We were on such a high-level previous year and in the first part of the championship this year we were just hanging there in terms of results. "I won some GPs early on in the year. Vettel had the car also and was quite happy with it and later on, he started winning the races quite well. In terms of developing the car, we are very strong in that area," he said.
Webber conceded that the current season has been a very "competitive" one for all the teams with changes in tyres and introduction of new FIA regulations. "The season has been pretty competitive. The tyres and the new regulations are two major issues. The tyres were changed and we had been trying to understand them. We are slowly getting on top of that.
"Also the regulations were quite different from last year. You see the blown diffuser was quite powerful and we were the team that tried it really. That was banned. We had to work out how to get the cars happy again around these new regulations. So far, in terms of the team, we are doing good. We have to beat the others and that's the motivation which keeps us going," he said.
Webber had finished fourth in the inaugural edition of the Indian Grand Prix last year, and the 6 feet 1 inch tall from New South Wales said he would settle for nothing less than a podium finish this year on October 28. "Looking to spray some champagne on the podium. I am looking for a good Sunday ahead. A lot will depend on how we fare in qualifying sessions," he said.
Webber said Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has a good chance of bagging the title over his teammate Vettel. "I think Alonso has a good chance of winning the title. He had a couple of tough races like Suzuka (Japan) where he lost points. But with four races to go, both Sebastian and Alonso have many points left to bag. It is still very open.
"Both of them have had a tough time but they have been very consistent too. Anything can happen. We could have a wet race in Brazil. It's not over till it is over," he added. Talking about his own performance through the season, Webber said, "I would love to win races and improve my position on the championship table, as much as possible. Our goal is to challenge for victories and we are capable of doing that."
Webber, who played some cricket with the Indian opener Gautam Gambhir here at the Noida International University, said a trip to the country is incomplete without a game of cricket. "A trip to India is incomplete without the delicious food and a game of cricket. Cricket as a sport requires a lot of concentration and hand-eye coordination, especially under extreme conditions, and so does Formula One," he said.
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