Formula 1:Mark Webber will take away a small crumb of comfort from a campaign that has been overshadowed by championship-winning Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
Vettel may have won nine Grands Prix and amassed 324 points so far en route to winning his second world title in Japan last Sunday, but for the team there is the glory of the constructors’ championship to aim for.
Red Bull are aiming to be the first team to achieve the F1 ‘double double’ of back-to-back drivers’ and constructors’ titles since Renault did it in 2005-06.
With nearest rivals McLaren 130 points adrift, Red Bull simply have to emerge from the weekend with a 129-point cushion to guarantee their second successive team title.
Recognising its importance to all those who build his car, Webber said: “It would be another big scalp.
“It’s clearly not as big as the drivers’ (title), but it’s a very important thing for the team.
“To get both championships is the extra icing on the cake for them, and it’s not often a team gets all four (titles) — boom, boom. That is not easy.
“The continuity of our staff in key sections has played a very big role which filters into the guts of the factory in a very positive way.
“When you are taking on the likes of Ferrari and McLaren you need to have it all together every weekend.
“That goes for the drivers and the cars with reliability, which has been even better than before -touch wood - so it’s really a great achievement.”
Webber recognises, though, that in comparison to Vettel his season has fallen well below expectations, even though he has been on pole three times and on the podium eight, albeit without a win.
“It hasn’t been a disastrous season, but it’s been a long way from what Sebastian has done. In anyone’s book he’s had a phenomenal year,” said Webber.
“If you look at guys who have won championships, it has been quite unusual the way it has happened this year, purely because of the form he has had, putting together a great campaign.
“I’ve had one non-finish, scored quite a few points and still done okay, and hopefully there are still some good races to come.
“But it is different to last year when I led a lot of laps and won a few races, whereas this year I haven’t looked like winning.
“But you never ever give up. You keep boxing, you keep going, and that’s what it’s about.”