Spanish GP 2011

MAY 20, 2011

Practice 1 Report - Webber quickest in Barcelona first session

Mark Webber
© The Cahier Archive

Mark Webber (1:25.142) topped the first session of free practice for Sunday's Spanish GP at Barcelona, a second clear of Red Bull Racing team mate Sebastian Vettel (1:26.149).

Barcelona was the first of two races Webber won a week apart last year, following up with a very strong performance in Monaco and he acknowledges that he needs a strong weekend this time around too, with Vettel having won three of the first four races.

"I'll just try and keep it going and do what I did last year," Webber said. "I need a perfect weekend - to win at this level you have to get everything right. Turkey was the first clean weekend that I've had so far this year."

Commenting on the larger gap between Vettel and himself in qualifying this year, Webber added: "What's clear is that we were very even on the Bridgestone tyre but with the Pirelli it's not like that, especially on new rubber. That's not an excuse and it's clearly up to me to do better."

Nico Rosberg (1:26.379) was closest challenger to the Red Bulls, ahead of Fernando Alonso's Ferrari (1:26.480), the Sauber of Sergio Perez (1:26.738), Lewis Hamilton's McLaren (1:26.988), Michael Schumacher's Mercedes (1:27.016), Nick Heidfeld's Renault (1:27.132), Jenson Button's McLaren (1:27.138) and Rubens Barrichello's Williams (1:27.212).