Tension inside Red-Bull F1 Team before the start of 2013 season

In the past few weeks, Red-Bull advisor, Helmut Marko, has been quite vocal about Fernando Alonso and Ferrari playing politics before the start of 2013 F1 season. But now, Helmut Marko has lashed out against his own driver Mark Webber.

Using Red Bull’s in-house Red Bulletin magazine, Marko recently told that Webber “falls into a downward spiral” when dealing with teammate Sebastian Vettel‘s quick pace or a mechanical problem makes an appearance.

“It seems to me that Webber has on average two races per year where he is unbeatable, but he can’t maintain this form throughout the year,” said Marko.

“And as soon as his prospects start to look good in the world championship, he has a little trouble with the pressure that this creates.

“In comparison with Seb [Vettel's] rising form, it seems to me that Mark’s form somehow flattens out.

“Then, if some technical mishap occurs, like with the alternator for example, he falls relatively easily into a downward spiral.

“No driver remains unaffected by this, because the tension is palpable.

“In 2010, it was particularly extreme. Webber headed into the final race with better chances than Vettel, and he probably carried the disappointment of his defeat into the 2011 season, which is so easy to understand.”

Helmut Marko also said that the arrival of Sebastian Vettel has been a psychological challenge for Webber as the Red-Bull team delivered a title winning car just as Vettel came into the team.

“Something that I think is also very important is that for much of his career, Mark was never in a top team, but he was always regarded as a high flyer if he only could get into the right team,” added Marko.

“Then Red Bull puts him in a car – a possible winner – and suddenly along comes this young kid and he snatches the booty from under Mark’s nose.

“Psychologically it’s not easy, of course; this would gnaw away at anyone’s confidence. It’s more than understandable.”

Mark Webber has also taken a jibe at Helmut Marko in an interview posted on his personal website.

“Look, everyone at this level has their own agendas and it’s been evident for a long time now that I’ve never been a part of Marko’s,” he said.

This year Webber will have to adjust to a new race engineer as his long time race engineer Ciaron Pilbeam has left Red-Bull to take up a new role in Lotus F1 Team. Simon Rennie, who worked with Lotus F1 Team, will be Mark’s race engineer for 2013 F1 Season.

“I’m certainly looking forward to getting my hands on the RB9 and I also have a new race engineer in Simon Rennie,” he said.

“It’s going to be important to have a solid pre-season with him after spending some six years with Ciaron Pilbeam who I had a long and enjoyable relationship with, but he’s no longer with the team.”