Fortune favours the brave

Fortune favours the brave

Last year Jenson Button drew criticism for driving too conservatively in the second half of the season.  He amassed a massive championship lead by winning six of the first seven races, but finished on the podium just once more before sealing the title in Brazil. It appeared that Button was driving cautiously to protect his championship lead but this ended up doing more damage than good. After winning the Turkish Grand Prix, Button lost places on the first lap in six of the next eight races, and was also bungled out of the Belgian Grand Prix whilst trying to tip-toe around the midfield.

Driving conservatively to collect points, instead of fighting for wins, can impact a driver’s confidence in his ability to race naturally. Jenson’s cautious approach in late 2009 was a sign of the pressure on his shoulders, and he later admitted that it was a "stressful" time for him.

This anxiety was also evident at Brazil in 2008 when a cautious drive from Lewis Hamilton almost cost him the World Championship.

The Singapore Grand Prix was proof that Mark Webber is not cracking under the same pressure.

Webber was in damage limitation mode all weekend and was simply trying to score as many points as possible against Vettel and Alonso. A solid result would have been enough to walk away from the Grand Prix happy. However, instead of taking it easy to protect his championship lead, Webber raced strongly and put forceful overtaking manoeuvres on Timo Glock, Kamui Kobayashi, and Michael Schumacher. A more cautious or conservative approach would not have yielded the same results and he may have been stuck in the midfield.

More significantly, Webber did not back down when challenged by his main championship rival, Lewis Hamilton.

On lap 36 Hamilton pulled alongside Webber heading into turn seven. Mark had the choice of letting the McLaren by, or braking as late as possible to make it difficult for Lewis. Such moments and decisions can decide World Championships, and Webber chose to fight to the bitter end.

It might not have been the right decision because the two made contact and that is the last thing either driver wanted. However, it was a brave decision and that has got to give Mark some confidence heading into the final races. In the heat of battle he was not distracted by the championship fight and he did not let it impact his driving.

In the same situation last year, when Jenson was feeling the pressure, it's easy to imagine that he would have conceded the position to be sure of finishing the race.

The accident shows that Webber is prepared to take the necessary risks to win the World Championship, and also sends a signal to his rivals that he won’t be soft during a battle because he is thinking about points. Mark could miss out on the title because of a driving error, or a poor performance, but he won’t lose the championship because he approached the final races with too much caution.

Webber sometimes lacks the raw speed of his championship rivals so often relies on his head and composure to score better results. Right now, when it matters most, his head is in the right place.

Posted by Martin Porter. - Follow him on twitter @mpondaweb.

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