Red Bull technical chief Adrian Newey has urged Sebastian Vettel to be “magnanimous” should he find himself in a position where he can help Mark Webber become Formula One world champion.
Newey has been the brains behind Red Bull’s astonishing rise over the last six years, the team emerging from the wreckage of Jaguar’s failure to become constructors’ champions.
But with one race remaining in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, for Newey the crowning glory to a remarkable year would be to see either Webber or Vettel clinch the drivers’ crown.
Webber stands eight points behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, with Vettel 15 points back, guaranteeing a pulsating end to the season.
One of the major talking points, though, is whether Vettel will aid Webber’s cause should he be in a position to do so, and so prevent Alonso from winning his third world championship.
“We’ve always said we would leave the drivers to it. It’s a drivers’ championship, and that’s how it should be,” said Newey. “We would honestly like to win both (titles) if we possibly could, and if we’re in a position where we can win the drivers’, that is what we must do now.
“Ultimately, if one of the drivers is out of it, then I hope he would be magnanimous enough to help the other.”
Despite the friction that has existed between Webber and Vettel this season, highlighted by fall-outs such as after their crash in Turkey, Newey feels the team have acted fairly with both drivers.
“They have pushed each other hard, which is good, a little bit too hard once or twice, but overall we’re very happy,” added Newey.
“At the end of the day it is a drivers’ championship and that means there shouldn’t be team orders.”
In helping Red Bull clinch the constructors’ title, Newey has now completed a stunning hat-trick after previously designing race and title-winning cars with Williams and McLaren.
From virtually nothing with Red Bull, however, his sentiments after this success were understandable.
“Williams and McLaren had already won championships as they were well established teams, so this one is certainly very special,” said Newey.
“To join Red Bull and develop the car from what was Jaguar, from a midfield runner to where we are now, is fantastic.
“In a way I’ve had to pinch myself because when I joined we had aspirations, but having those and achieving it are two different things.
“I still can’t quite believe it, and to get both would be amazing. We can but hope, but what can you do.
“The car has proved itself to be capable of it, but we’ve had some bad luck here and there.”