Webber denies he interacted with marshals in 'taxi ride' incident
Mark Webber has denied that he had any interaction with the Singapore Grand Prix marshals when he climbed aboard Fernando Alonso's Ferrari for the 'taxi ride' that earned him a controversial reprimand
As part of its explanation of the stewards' decision, the FIA said that Webber did not have permission from the marshals to go onto the track, and that this was the key element in the decision to punish him.
AUTOSPORT understands that in the marshals' report issued to the stewards they stated that instructions were given to Webber for him not to enter the track.
However, Webber may not have heard them over the noise of cars as he was already running towards the circuit.
The regulations demand that drivers can only go on track if they have permission from marshals.
Webber took to his Twitter account on Tuesday morning to criticise the ruling and insist that he had not heard the marshals' instructions.
CCTV footage issued by the FIA showed marshals at the corner gesticulating at Webber to stop.
"For @alo_oficial [Alonso] and me to receive reprimands for our actions after the race it is comical to say the least," he wrote. "Great moment, and fans loved it.
"And while I'm at it, contrary to reports, there was no interaction at all with any track officials after we put the fire out."
Alonso was also reprimanded as the race officials judged that he had stopped in a dangerous manner when he collected Webber.
As Webber's reprimand was his third of the year, he automatically received a 10-place grid penalty for the next race in Korea.
AUTOSPORT revealed on Monday that the FIA would now advise Formula 1 drivers not to give stranded rivals passenger rides in the manner Alonso had with Webber.
Both Webber and Alonso mocked the decision on their Twitter feeds during Tuesday.
Webber retweeted a photo montage of other F1 driver taxi rides from history, and drew attention to Singapore GP stewards' driver representative Derek Warwick riding on Gerhard Berger's Ferrari in 1988, while Alonso tweeted a mocked-up poster for the film Taxi featuring his and Webber's faces.
'NOT KILLJOYS'
"It is not health and safety gone mad," said Warwick.
"A driver could easily have been hurt. I hope we're not seen as killjoys.
"I want Formula 1 to be entertaining. I want it to be a spectacle.
"I'm a big fan of MotoGP and I wish we in Formula 1 could get closer to the drivers like they do in MotoGP.
"We have become a bit sterile in many ways in Formula 1. But we cannot put drivers at risk.
"If it had been done in a safer manner then it might have been viewed differently, but this was potentially very dangerous.
"You can't have cars parked in the middle of a corner."
Red Bull has no qualms that F1 dominance could be turn-off for fans
Ferrari should forget 2014 F1 title hopes says Lotus's Alan Permane
Why it's Red Bull that really leads a three-way fight so far at Silverstone
After a slow start to Friday at Silverstone, all the Formula 1 teams had to effectively cram in a day’s worth of practice into one hour. But there was still plenty to learn and while Ferrari topped the times, a three-way battle is brewing ahead of the British Grand Prix
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism
Verstappen exclusive: Why F1’s champion isn’t fazed by Silverstone return
Max Verstappen is the world’s number one racing driver… and he’s determined to keep it that way. Speaking exclusively to GP Racing's OLEG KARPOV, the Red Bull driver explains why he’s relishing the 2022 championship battle with Charles Leclerc – and why he’s not worried about returning to Silverstone, the scene of the biggest accident of his career last year
Why Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar can help its F1 team
On Tuesday, Red Bull laid out its plans to develop and build a new hypercar - the RB17 - penned by Adrian Newey. As the project itself sates Newey as a creative outlet, it also offers Red Bull's Formula 1 team a number of new and exciting avenues to pursue
What to expect from Mercedes as F1 returns to Silverstone
OPINION: The British Grand Prix is a home event for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with their Mercedes team based just a few miles away too. But there’s another reason why the Silver Arrows squad is eager to arrive at Silverstone this weekend, which may help it fix its remaining problems with its 2022 Formula 1 challenger
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow