Mark Webber says the outcome of his Eau Rouge move on Fernando Alonso may not have played out so successfully had it been someone other than Alonso alongside him.
The move, which even had David Coulthard wincing in the BBC commentary box, saw the Australian and Spaniard line abreast as they entered the daunting Eau Rouge – a corner which cannot accommodate two cars alongside one another.
Eventually it was the Red Bull that emerged victorious as Alonso was forced to back-off and give Webber the racing line through the sequence of corners.
“On that lap we were side-by-side on the approach to Eau Rouge, both of us using KERS,” said Webber. “Contact wasn’t an option and one of us had to lift. I had the slightly better line, so it was Fernando who backed off first.”
The 35-year-old believes the outcome would have been different had it not been the experienced double world-champion alongside him.
“He’s a world-class driver and he knows when enough is enough, but it was still one of those moments when I held my breath!
“Obviously, my attitude might have been a bit different with someone else, let’s say, but, in the end, it worked out for me today but, in Monza, maybe it’s his turn to do it to me.”
