Webber says Red Bull broke no rules, ruling won’t affect race at Canadian GP

MONTREAL – Red Bull driver Mark Webber says he is no cheater.

Rivals teams that complained the Red Bull cars of Webber and two-time defending Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel had an unfair advantage got their wish June 1 when the sports’ governing body FIA issued a directive banning cars from having a hole in the floor.

The ruling takes affect at the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Red Bull has won two of the last three races, including Webber’s win two weeks ago in Monaco, with a rectangular hole in front of the rear wheels that was seen as an aerodynamic advantage.

Webber said the team did nothing illegal.

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”In relation to winning races with an illegal car, I’m happy to be called lots of things and I’m happy to have criticism about my driving and lots of stuff, but I will not take criticism in that respect,” the Australian driver said.

”In fact it completely (made me angry) because the car passed every single technical regulation after the race. All of the teams that were against it did not make any protest after Monaco. The car passed the test after Bahrain and Monaco. Now there’s been a clarification on the rule.

”Now the rule has been changed so we’ll start again, and we’re looking forward to it.”

He said the team planned to remove the hole for the next race in Valencia, Spain on June 25 anyway. And he doesn’t expect it to hamper the team’s performance.

”We’re very optimistic the change won’t make much difference at all,” he said.

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NOT SO HIGH FLYER – Webber spent Wednesday doing a simulation of skydiving at a Montreal wind tunnel with Red Bull Air Force diver Jon DeVore.

”It was in a wind tunnel, so it obviously wasn’t real skydiving,” Webber said. ”I don’t know if I’ve got the bug to jump out of planes, to be honest, but I enjoyed it.”

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STORMY WEATHER – Rain is forecast for Friday’s two practice sessions at the Canadian Grand Prix, but there should be no repeat of last year’s rain-soaked race. It is to be cloudy and 24 C for qualifying on Saturday and sunny and 24 C for the race on Sunday.