Mark Webber has promised to end the FIA Formula 3000 Championship with a flourish after a spin in the 10th round of the 12-race series all but handed the title to arch-rival Justin Wilson. 

The rising Australian star qualified second fastest behind Wilson at the Hungaroring, near Budapest. "Justin got a good, clean lap in a busy qualifying session," Mark said, "and the fact I was second ultimately decided my fate. It is actually better to be third on the grid than to be second in Hungary, so that you start from the cleaner side of the circuit, but it's just the luck of the draw. I don't think we showed our car's true potential in qualifying, because the track was full of spinning cars and I didn't get a decent clear run." 

He saw his victory hopes dashed in the opening few yards when he picked up too much wheelspin on the notoriously dusty, slippery track. "I knew I was going to drop at least a place or two," he said, "and that's the last thing you need at a track like this because overtaking is just so difficult. There is only one racing line - and if you stray off it even slightly you tend to be history." 

Super Nova Lola driver Webber dropped to fourth at the first corner, behind Wilson, Ricardo Mauricio (Red Bull Junior) and Wilson's Coca-Cola Nordic Racing team-mate Tomas Enge. He followed Enge until the 25th of 38 laps, when the Czech driver ran wide at the final corner and allowed Webber to seize the initiative. In trying to defend his position, Enge came back across the track and his front right wheel rammed the left side of his rival's car. Both were able to continue, but race stewards penalised Enge for dangerous driving and handed him a stop-and-go penalty. 

"I thought what Tomas did was pretty idiotic," Webber said. "After he made his mistake I was clean through, but he just carried on across the track and hit me. The impact inflicted a bit of damage on the car, but I don't think it affected the handling because the chassis felt absolutely awesome. I could see Mauricio up ahead and thought I could catch him. I wasn't interested in finishing third and wanted to limit the damage caused by all the time I'd lost stuck behind Enge." 

Webber rapidly cut Mauricio's advantage from seven seconds to three, but with four and a half laps to go he spun off and had to retire from the race. Although it remains mathematically possible for Mark to take the title, he must win the final two races and hope that Wilson fails to add to his own points tally.  

"I have to concede that it's all but over," Webber said. "We have had a good season and have won three times, just like Justin, but he has scored points in six of the other nine races and that has made him an awesome opponent. Given his record, I can't see him not scoring in the final two races, but we'll keep pushing because in this business you never know what might happen." 

Webber also has more Formula One testing to look forward to. He completed his latest session with Benetton Renault Sport just one day before travelling to Budapest. 

"I'm certainly not suffering from lack of track time," he said. "I drove the latest Benetton at Silverstone last week and that gave me more useful experience. Sometimes when I drive the F1 car it takes a little time to re-adapt to the F3000, but that wasn't the case at all in Hungary. I just got in and got on with it and things felt really good." 

Although he concedes the title fight is almost settled, Webber remains highly motivated for the final two F3000 races. "We have had a very strong campaign," he said, "and I'm not going to cut my throat about what has happened. I am just focused on winning at Spa and Monza, which are both tracks I like, because it would be nice to end the year as the driver who has scored most victories his season. That much is definitely within our grasp." 

FIA F3000 Championship points: 

 1         Justin Wilson (GB)               59
 2         Mark Webber (AUS)            39
 3         Tomas Enge (CZ)                36
 4         Sébastien Bourdais (F)        25
 5         Antonio Pizzonia (BR)         22
 6         Bas Leinders (B)                 14
 7         Ricardo Sperafico (BR)        10
 8         Darren Manning (GB)            9
 =         Ricardo Mauricio (BR)           9
10        Jaime Melo (BR)                   8
 =         David Saelens (B)                8
 =         Patrick Friesacher (A)          8
12        Stéphane Sarrazin (F)          4
13        Mario Haberfeld (BR)            3
14        Joel Camathias (CH)            2
 =         Giorgio Pantano (I)              2
16        Fabrizio Gollin (I)                 1
 =         Andrea Piccini (I)                1 


For further media information, please contact:
Ann Neal
Tel/Fax: +44 1296 728405
Mobile: +44 7990 592404