Webber to test Red Bull first

Red Bull have confirmed that Mark Webber will be the first of their drivers to test their new car, the much-anticipated RB8, at Jerez next month.

Australian to get his hands on RB8 before World Champion

Red Bull have confirmed that Mark Webber will be the first of their drivers to test their new car, the RB8, at Jerez next month. With Adrian Newey's latest creation unveiled in the rather modern and restricted surrounds of the team's own website on February 6, the Jerez test will mark the first occasion that the car will be seen in the flesh outside of Red Bull's Milton Keynes HQ. The team have now updated their plans to confirm that it is Webber who will try out the car on the first two days of the test - February 7 and 8 - before World Champion Sebastian Vettel gets his hands on the RB8 for the final two days. Meanwhile, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said he expects Webber to be stronger this coming season. The 35-year-old emerged as a title contender in 2010 but was trounced by Vettel last season, winning only the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix after his team-mate had romped to the Championship with 11 victories in all.

Difficult

Webber in particular struggled to extract performance from Pirelli's new tyres but Horner reckons he better understands them now. "It's very difficult going up against a driver of Sebastian's calibre, being matched and measured against somebody of his standard," Horner told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Mark had a difficult start to the year, but he adapted. He worked hard at it and to understand the tyres in particular." Horner also hinted that Webber, who is on a one-year rolling contract with Red Bull, could stay on beyond 2012. "It's a great pairing," he said of Webber and Vettel. "There is over a 10-year age difference between the two, so they are at different stages of their careers. But they push each other very hard and bring out the best of each other." Related Articles:
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