Mark Webber has lashed out at the current state of play in the top flight approaching the F1 2010 world championship campaign, blasting the 'embarrassing'
débâcle of new 'Mickey Mouse' teams that 'haven't yet turned a wheel' just ten days shy of the curtain-raising Bahrain Grand Prix.
Whilst shambolic American effort USF1 has now been put out of its misery with the publication of the FIA's official final 2010 entry list [see separate story –
click here], for this year at least, Hispania Racing F1 Team – formerly Campos Meta 1 – will arrive at Sakhir in the desert kingdom with at most a single shakedown run under its belt, a somewhat disquieting situation both for HRT F1 and rival competitors, with little to no knowledge of how the car ill actually behave on-track.
That, Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) director Webber contends, is a disgrace for a formula touted as the pinnacle of international four-wheeled motorsport – and the current predicament, he opines, has left F1 looking more than a touch amateurish.
“It's embarrassing,” blasted the
Red Bull Racing star in an interview with Australian news agency
AAP. “It's incredible that people who haven't yet turned a wheel take part in grands prix. It's the sort of stuff from Mickey Mouse or Tom and Jerry.”
The New South Wales native even went so far as to argue that record-breaking
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi – a man who has flirted with a crossover to four wheels on a number of occasions in recent years, off the back of a strong of eye-catching testing outings with
Ferrari – would likely be better for the top flight than some of its newcomers, and vowed to emulate 'The Doctor' in giving something back to his supporters when he wins his first grand prix this season.
“It would make more sense to field Valentino Rossi, with his bike, on the grid,” the 33-year-old went on. “He is great – F1 needs a character like him. For my first victory of 2010 I will do something for the fans...it won't be as brilliant, Rossi-style, but enough to thank them.”