Australian Mark Webber finished a fighting second in yesterday’s Belgian Grand Prix and then suggested his Red Bull team needs to be ready to back him to win the drivers’ title and expect his impetuous team-mate to work in support.

Webber, who celebrated his 34th birthday on Friday, lost his grip on the leadership of the drivers’ title battle to victorious Briton Lewis Hamilton, but is now almost 30 points clear of German Sebastian Vettel, 23, with six races remaining this year.

He said: “I think it is too early – at this moment – to say that one driver should have priority, but it is not far away now.”

Webber has won four races this year to Vettel’s two, but it has been his maturity and consistency that has given him a clear upper hand over the hot-headed young tyro.

Vettel yesterday failed to score any points in a race that saw him finish 15th after crashing into defending champion Jenson Button’s McLaren, pick up a puncture and have to perform a drive-through penalty – one of his five pit visits.

Webber now has 179 points in second place and is 28 clear of Vettel in third.

Webber said Red Bull now had to address their strategy for the rest of the year if they are serious about trying to wrest the constructors’ championship from McLaren as well as the drivers title race.

“McLaren have won many championships and have a good trophy cabinet,” he said.

“Red Bull have a good trophy cabinet, but it is not as good. I think it depends on how hungry we are to try and do that.”

Vettel said he retained hopes of keeping his title bid alive despite another so far erratic season littered with mistakes and incidents when his enthusiasm and ambition exceeded his self-control.

“Looking back, with the rain at the end, we could’ve still managed to get some decent points,” Vettel said. “There were some easy points for us to pick up – at least second or third.

“But instead, we have none – so now we just have to see what we can do at the next race.”