Red Bull want Vettel to let Webber through

(GETTY IMAGES)

Red Bull technical chief Adrian Newey said yesterday that he hoped Sebastian Vettel would allow Mark Webber through to win the driver's championship should he have the opportunity to do so in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. If both Red Bulls are in first and second position, with Fernando Alonso in third, then Webber would have to win the race to take the title, while a Vettel victory would see Alonso take the crown. Newey has said that in such circumstances, he would want Vettel to be "magnanimous" and let Webber through.

"We've always said we would leave the drivers to it. It's a drivers' championship, and that's how it should be," said Newey. "We would honestly like to win both [titles] if we possibly could, and if we're in a position where we can win the drivers', that is what we must do now. Ultimately, if one of the drivers is out if it, then I hope he would be magnanimous enough to help the other."

Magnanimity is not guaranteed, however, given tensions between Webber and Vettel, which date back to a collision in the Turkish Grand Prix. But Newey remains confident that team spirit will prevail: "They have pushed each other hard, which is good, a little bit too hard once or twice, but overall we're very happy. At the end of the day it is a drivers' championship and that means there shouldn't be team orders."

The scenario in which both Red Bulls are competing for the title would be if Alonso were not to finish in the top four. Then, a Vettel-Webber one-two would see the German win the championship.

But Alonso is confident that he will claim the top two finish required to guarantee his title, which would make him the youngest ever driver to win a third world championship.