Singapore: Reigning Formula One world champion Jenson Button turned up the heat on his potential successor Mark Webber, saying the Australian must be feeling the pressure of knowing this is likely his only chance of winning the title.
The parallels between Button's 2009 campaign and Webber in 2010 are strong, not only because they entered the final five races with the championship lead, but because they were experienced drivers who mounted title challenges after many had thought their chance had passed.
Webber has four challengers who could potentially overtake his points total this weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix: Red Bull teammate Sebastien Vettel, Button and his McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton, and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
Button said on Thursday that Webber would be feeling the same kind of anxiety that he felt in 2009, and that long experience in F1 can be a double-edged sword for a first-time title aspirant.
"It can be a bad thing, because you think to yourself 'I've got a good car and experience of 10 years but this could be my last chance to fight for a championship,'" Button said.
"It's a tough position to be in, and also not having the experience of winning a title, the same as Sebastien. They might be very strong in the head, and it might be easy for them, but it wasn't for me at the end of last year."
However, while Button was clinging on in the closing stages of last year, with rival cars having surpassed the Brawn-Mercedes, Webber still has one of the sharpest cars on the grid. That meant the Australian will not be following Button's approach of trying to pick off low-paying points finishes rather than fighting for wins.
"Winning makes a difference, and that's what our goal is to do here," Webber said.
"It's completely suicidal to sit back and say 'I can pick up fifth and sixth' — that's not good enough."
The Australian driver accepted he and his team had a championship experience deficit to Hamilton, Button and Alonso — all of whom have won drivers' titles.
"Where you have slightly uncharted waters, it comes with a degree of inexperience," Webber said. "But there's also that great thing that you are incredibly hungry for it. We as a team at Red Bull totally understand how unique this opportunity is."
The looming wild card this weekend is Singapore's tropical weather. While the first two editions of the race avoided rain, there were several showers on Thursday, with more forecast for the following three days.
None of the drivers has experienced driving an F1 car on a wet track under lights, and enter the weekend wary of how they will handle light reflecting off the road.
"One of the biggest things ... is the spray off the cars. We really don't know how that will work with the clarity of lights coming through," Webber said.
"My money is (on) everything will be fine. I don't think there will be any huge problems."
Ferrari's Felipe Massa, still chasing his first win of the season, was also concerned by the risk of rain, but drew confidence from his impressive pole position qualifying performance at Marina Bay in 2008 before a pitstop mishap in the race. He missed 2009's event through injury.
"Rain at a track like this is always difficult. Its like Monaco, and Monaco with rain is very tricky, very slippery," Massa said.
"Its very clear that the championship is not easy to get, but I am thinking about racing for victory. I like the circuit. Its a track where I did a great qualifying, I was nearly six-tenths quicker than second."
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