Mark Webber has played down suggestions he is asking for his teammate Sebastian Vettel to play a supporting role for the rest of 2010.

At Spa-Francorchamps recently, the Australian suggested that with a growing points gap to his teammate, the time might be nearing for Red Bull to appoint a number one, depending on “how hungry they are”.

Team consultant Helmut Marko then admitted Red Bull will “sit down all together” and “assess our championship chances” after Monza, where the points gap between the drivers became 24 with five races to go.

But Vettel sounded unimpressed at the prospect of a supporting role, insisting that “team orders are banned”.

Webber manager Flavio Briatore’s view is strident, insisting that maintaining parity between the pair is what Red Bull should do “if they don’t want to win the championship”.

Spain’s Diario Sport now quotes Webber as saying: “Help from Vettel? It depends on the team.

“Rest assured I have not asked for anything. It’s the same at McLaren,” said the 34-year-old championship leader.

Mercedes is resisting efforts to create parity in engine performance within formula one, according to Helmut Marko.

He is the motor sport consultant at Red Bull Racing, who are still pushing for clearance to have its Renault engines brought up to speed amid F1′s current development freeze.

“It’s frustrating,” Dr Marko said in an interview with Austria’s laola1.at.

“Renault is losing about three tenths of a second per lap, but so far there is no green light (for parity).

“First we would need an agreement within FOTA, but so far Mercedes is resisting,” added Marko.