Is Mark Webber copping a Red Bull shafting?

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Don't believe there was a shooter on the grassy knoll. Or that Hollywood constructed the moon landing. Or that Elvis didn't really leave the building.

But Mark Webber copping a banana in the tailpipe from Red Bull Racing? I'm starting to come around. And Australia, I think you suspect something too.

At the weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, Webber's team switched him mid-race to a three-stop strategy. Team-mate Sebastian Vettel was given a two-stop strategy. No surprise the German eventually won with Webber second.

Vettel leads this year's drivers' championship. Webber can't win it. So Vettel does deserve to be favoured by his team – now.

But the suspicion is Vettel has been for years, even when Webber was in the box seat to win the championship in 2010 and Red Bull swore blind there were no favourites.

That the Australian didn't win then was his own fault. Red Bull cannot be blamed for that. Webber crashed out in Korea and the rest is history. Vettel won the title in a thriller. Yet, even when Webber was their best chance for most of that season, Red Bull bosses refused to issue team orders to help him out.

Since that fateful day, the team orders appear to go something like this. Give Seb the Red Bull. Give Mark the lightly carbonated wee.

Even when both drivers were on equal championship footing, Vettel got the rub of the green. Quicker and better pit stops. The more favourable strategy. The more reliable car. Webber's KERS fails more regularly in the heat of battle than GWS. Vettel's is foolproof on race day.

This year's Malaysian Grand Prix was the last straw. Webber was royally shafted by Vettel. He was told by the team not to pass Webber. "Multi 21," they told both drivers on the radio. Webber turned down his engine accordingly thinking he was set for victory. Vettel drove on by anyway. The team's reaction? Not even a slap on the wrist for the German.

Clearly Webber had had enough, and declared he would quit Formula One at the end of the season. He won't publicly say Red Bull Racing is all about Seb. But surely he thinks it too. It will be interesting to see whether retirement loosens the stiff upper lip.

Webber knows Red Bull's motorsport adviser Dr Helmut Marko doesn't like him very much. He's publicly questioned his driving ability. Questioned whether he's mentally tough enough to cope with the pressure of fighting for a championship. With this sort of negativity inside his own team, who needs enemies?

But before we start screaming aloud that Colonel Marko with the KERS in the debrief room is the answer to this particular game of Cluedo, this may be all completely innocent.

The Australian may just continually find himself in more strife than compatriots Burke and Wills.

Vettel's car may just run like a rocket while Webber's has the kinks. Vettel is after all a three-time world champion, and destined to go down as one of the greats of the sport. No knock on his driving skills.

What can be questioned are Red Bull's strategies and how much they appear to help Vettel at Webber's expense. Or whether their cars are exactly the same as the team insists. Much will be answered when another Australian, Daniel Ricciardo, steps into Webber's seat for 2014.

Australians will wish Ricciardo the best of luck. He may need it. And to ensure he's opening his own cans of the sponsor's product.

I have a feeling Webber would boost his popularity rating significantly in his home country if as his parting shot to Formula One, he forcibly parked his Red Bull deep in Vettel's front end and walked off into the sunset.

Right now, I'm not sure many Webber fans buy the line Red Bull is giving both its drivers wings.

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