Horner: No risk means no fun - and we'll sleep fine

On the eve of a race that will either see one of the two Red Bull Racing drivers crowned F1 2010 World Champion - or else see the energy drinks-backed outfit pay the ultimate price for its steadfast and some would say misguided insistence upon affording both Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel equal opportunity right the way to the end - team principal Christian Horner has mused that 'if there's no risk, there's no fun' and argues that whatever happens, 'we will be able to sleep comfortably at night'.

Vettel and Webber's one-two finish in last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos might have secured the hotly-prized constructors' laurels one race early, but it has also left Red Bull with a potential Abu Dhabi headache - one, contend the team's critics, entirely of its own making.

Had RBR asked Vettel to yield to Webber in S?o Paulo in deference to his team-mate's mathematically greater chance of title glory, then the latter would now be sitting just one point adrift of Ferrari rival Fernando Alonso in the drivers' standings arriving at Yas Marina - effectively turning the battle into a straight duel between the Spaniard and the Australian, with whichever one of them finished ahead in the UAE clinching the crown.

As it is, with no switch made in Brazil, Webber now has an eight-point deficit to make up if he is to successfully overhaul Alonso, whilst Vettel remains in contention, too - albeit at a more distant 15 markers in arrears. With all manner of permutations possible, the one given is that if Ferrari's talisman takes the chequered flag either first or second on Sunday, he is world champion for a third time regardless of what happens to either of his two principal adversaries.

It is a risky strategy that Red Bull has elected to adopt in the tense Middle Eastern decider - and one that could boil down to Vettel needing to voluntarily cede to Webber in the closing stages of the grand prix if the New South Wales native is the only one of the pair that can viably still claim the trophy. But then, as Horner repeats, 'no risk, no fun'.

"There are still four guys that can win this championship, and as a team we are very fortunate that both of our drivers are part of the four," the Englishman told the official F1 website. "Mark is mathematically in a better position than Sebastian, but ultimately they both know that they have to finish. Without finishing they cannot win the title, and in certain scenarios both have the potential to win.

"We will be able to sleep comfortably at night knowing that we've given both an equal chance and a fantastic opportunity. It will be fascinating, because both our guys have nothing to lose but to go for it. Fernando is in a slightly less comfortable position because he is sitting on a lead, albeit a relatively small lead. Going into the race, the approach of the drivers will be very different, with both our guys firmly believing that they have a chance.

"For Mark, it has been a fantastic season - he has won four grands prix this year, and this represents the best opportunity he's had so far in his career. Such an opportunity doesn't come along for any driver that often and when you are 34-years-old, you certainly want to grab it. Mark's commitment, dedication and sheer hard work over his career would [make him] a very worthy champion and I believe a very popular champion.

"In Sebastian's case, he is a prodigious talent, he is a really exciting driver to watch and he has never given up. Despite all the bad luck that he has had this season, he has never given up. He has a great character and personality and therefore he would be an equally fitting champion. Both would be very deserving and I am sure they will do everything to achieve the best result - not just for themselves, but also for the team.

"They've raced each other all year, as that is the way we have chosen to go racing in F1. They both have the chance this weekend, and we will back them equally with the same equipment and the same opportunities. However, if one finds himself in a situation where he can't win, I am sure they will do their best for the team.

"They drive for a fantastic team and they have contributed very significantly to this year's constructors' title success. They both respect not just Red Bull Racing but also the Red Bull brand. Obviously, it will always be the drivers' decision, but I am sure they recognise the team that they drive for and will ultimately do the right thing for the team."

Pressed as to what would happen should the same race order as in Brazil - Vettel leading from Webber and Alonso - re-materialise as the laps tick down in Abu Dhabi, given that in such a scenario the man from Queanbeyan could only win the championship if his team-mate allowed him to similarly win the race, Horner is coy, conceding just that 'it is very difficult indeed'.

"On the one hand, you are driving for yourself and on the other hand you are driving for a team," explained the 36-year-old, a former racer himself. "You rely on all those members of the team, so it is a horrible question to be faced with as a driver - but ultimately you recognise that you are driving for a team, and it is important to do the right thing for the team. Both are team players. In the same situation, I am convinced that both would do the right and honourable thing.

"[But if Alonso retires or suffers a problem,] at that point both are racing for the world championship. The risk that Lewis Hamilton has a 'free ride' to the championship is there, but as Dietrich [Mateschitz - Red Bull owner] always tells me, if there's no risk, there's no fun!"

Webber's pre-Interlagos - and indeed post-Silverstone - comments that his strong form in F1 2010 has arguably been 'inconvenient' for Red Bull's true aspirations and that his performance has been 'not bad for a number two driver' hint that not all inside the team have had 'fun' this year, but Horner is quick to play down suspicions of a growing and perhaps unbridgeable rift between the Aussie and both his team-mate and team management, as well as bluntly dismissing rumours that he will walk away come season's end whether he does so with the title in his pocket or not.

"Mark said a few things in Brazil," Horner reflected. "When you are fighting for the championship, sometimes emotions boil over because Mark knows the amount of support, backing and opportunity the team has provided him with. Sometimes drivers will use whatever is within their means to put pressure on their opponents, and I read nothing more into that situation. We have no plans to fire Mark. He and Sebastian will be our drivers in 2011."

As to the one world championship that RBR has definitively wrapped up, finally, Horner described the successful conquest of the constructors' crown after only six seasons in F1 as 'hugely significant' for all at the Milton Keynes-based squad - and just reward for every single employee's hard work and commitment to the task.

"This year we have won eight races," he summarised. "Nobody has won more than that. We have had 14 pole positions so far this year and four one-two finishes, so from a team perspective it has been a fantastic year. The constructors' is the big one for the team - it is how the different departments measure themselves against their competitors, whether it is aerodynamics, manufacturing, upgrade ability or pit-stops.

"The constructors' actually is the bigger championship, [but] the drivers' title is the one that carries the prestige and the public remembers most. Ultimately, they have a very similar value to the team. The first big thing was achieved in Brazil - [the drivers' trophy] would be the second big thing. This weekend is all about what the drivers do, and we will focus entirely on them and give them the best possible support that we can."