Mark Webber expresses 'surprise' that Red Bull moved him on to three-stop strategy

Mark Webber has admitted he was "surprised" to be switched to a three-stop strategy by Red Bull after finishing second to two-stopping team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the Japanese GP.

Webber's second pit stop - which effectively locked him into his three-stop strategy - came on on lap 26, three laps earlier than Grosjean and 12 earlier than the sister Red Bull. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 later, Webber elaborated on how he had hoped his original strategy would pan out - although made clear that the Red Bull pitwall had far more information at their disposal to make the ultimate call. "After the first stop, the guys said we were still on a two [-stop strategy], 'there's no problem so keep looking after the tyres, we can get to the target lap," he told Natalie Pinkham. "That was the plan, I was looking to wait behind Romain and then squeeze up between lap 28 and 31 - which was the target lap. Then, on lap 25, the guys said we were going to a three-stop. "I asked the guys if this was right. They said 'yes, give it a go'. And that was it. I don't have the whole chess match in front of me. They had more information than me." Halfway through the race, Red Bull were heard to tell Vettel "you are racing Grosjean, you are not racing Webber". "I stopped to think about that and if they thought Webber was gone a three-race strategy. But what they meant was that he was out of the picture," commented Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle.