MELBOURNE, Aug 8 - Williams driver Mark Webber expects Red Bull to
emerge from the pack and challenge the likes of McLaren, Ferrari and Renault
when he joins them in 2007.
"I'm very confident Red Bull will be the most improved team next season," the
Australian told reporters in a conference call on Tuesday.
Red Bull Racing, which took over the Jaguar team Webber left for Williams at
the end of 2004, announced on Monday that the 29-year-old would be driving
alongside David Coulthard in 2007.
After Williams announced last month that Austrian test driver Alexander Wurz
would be partnering Nico Rosberg in 2007, Webber's Formula One career lay
elsewhere and he said he was delighted to take up the challenge with Red Bull.
"We are not going to win the world championship, I'm realistic but I am
confident we can have a strong season, one which I am really looking forward
to," he said.
"Red Bull wants to win and whether that will happen next year could be a tall
order, to be consistent points scorers is what we want. We could be in the top
five next year, which would still be quite a hard challenge."
Webber revealed he knew before the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim he would
be leaving Williams and be joining the team owned by Austrian energy drink
billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz.
Flavio Briatore, Webber's manager and Renault team boss, orchestrated the
move and the former Jaguar pilot was inevitably linked with the vacancy at the
French team vacated when world champion Fernando Alonso heads for McLaren in
2007.
"It was before Hockenheim I knew I would be going to Red Bull. Flavio gave me
the minimum I could expect and I knew he would look after me and he's a man of
his word.
"When Red Bull came for me they came pretty hard to the finish line and to
tell you the truth I'm delighted to be with them."
RELIABILITY PROBLEMS
He stressed he was disappointed to be leaving the Williams team but after a
season dogged by reliability problems he thought his best chances lay elsewhere.
"Formula One careers are short and it's important to make the most of every
year. It's disappointing it didn't work out at Grove but that can happen and we
all suffered there together and still are.
"I'm not one for jumping ships, I'd have finished my career at Williams but
in the end you've got to look for something better for the future."
