Mark Webber has revealed he had mixed feelings when he beat Fernando Alonso to third place in the 2011 constructors’ standings.
The pair, who are friends, lead similarly guarded private lives, so in the closing stages of the championship they considered the ’prize’ that went along with pipping the other to the post for third place.
"Only the top three drivers have to go", said Australian Webber, referring to the official FIA prize-giving gala, which was held recently in India.
"Jenson, Fernando and I had had a bit of a joke on the drivers’ parade before the final race of the season in Brazil last month.
"We were all keen to improve our championship positions, but none of us were that up for any extra travel," he wrote in his last BBC column for the year.
"In the end, I won in Brazil, relegating Fernando to fourth. He’s an intense competitor but I don’t think he was that unhappy about losing out by one point," said Webber.
"I got a text message from him the day before I was going to India, reminding me that I had to go. It was along the lines of ’This is your captain speaking, your flight is ready for boarding’. It made me smile."