The well-known Australian aids in our selection of his top competitions from a stellar career that featured nine Formula 1 triumphs and the 2015 World Endurance Championship.
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Since Mark Webber had performed well at Minardi, Jaguar, and Williams, he was one of Formula One’s leading contenders during Red Bull’s winning streak. Before leaving Formula One at the conclusion of 2013, the Australian driver had competed in 215 world championship grand prix races and had recorded nine victories, 13 pole positions, and 19 fastest laps. The World Endurance Championship was his to win in 2015, and he also had success with Porsche, coming in second at the Le Mans 24 Hours. That indicates that it would be difficult to narrow down a list of Webber’s top 3 drives. Here are the picks thanks to assistance from the man himself.
For the first time in his career, Webber took the lead of the Formula One world championship after starting from pole position and dominating every lap. According to Webber, “This was quite different from the Monaco victory in 2012”. “This time, I felt totally in charge. Everyone came in closely to the finish line, but that wasn’t the race’s true narrative. I would have been between 20 and 30 seconds down the road if you add up the gaps before the safety cars, which there were several of. “This was one of those days where the pitboard just kept going in the right direction, so I had to maintain my concentration the entire time. I wondered, “Where are they all?” Brilliant!’ That experience was lovely. The barriers will move toward the end of the race, but it’s a long day outside and Jenson [the 2009 winner] had been playing some mind tricks earlier. They will budge! They begin to close in on you” and other such nonsense.
“I told myself right away to focus on the first corner, Ste Devote, and to buckle down for the first few laps. The following corner, the following corner, and the following are the most crucial points.
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Prior to round 10 of the 2010 season, Red Bull’s maiden championship appeared to be slipping away as McLaren-Mercedes and its drivers held the lead in both titles. When Webber was forced to give Vettel his damaged nose wing for qualifying at Silverstone after running a rebuilt version during practise, the tension rose tremendously. Webber’s famous quote, “Not bad for a number two driver,” was sparked by the predicted first-lap fight that occurred after Vettel won pole position with the Australian driver alongside him. Today, Webber beams, “You could say there was a lot of tension in the squad. “We’re both in the front row, and look at all this nose nonsense. I believe the guys and [team manager] Christian [Horner] were concerned about us turning into the fence at the first corner. Just win the f***ing start, Flav [Flavio Briatore, Webber’s manager] told me when we spoke that morning.
“Amazingly, both on the old and new grid layouts at Silverstone, the second grid position always had more grip. I considered parking Seb a little closer to the Copse apex and ruining his plan to go to Becketts because I had more than Seb. Actually, Lewis Hamilton touched him and cut Seb’s tyre, so I bumped him more than I probably intended to. Seb and I immediately entered Beckett’s; when I exited, he had vanished. I remarked, “Sensational! He has left.” With everyone else more than 20 seconds behind Webber, Hamilton’s McLaren was defeated by his team by 1.4 seconds as Webber backed off in the final laps. Vettel came in eighth. “We had a good car advantage there and I felt it was my race to win even though Lewis drove an awesome race,” adds Webber. “And, yeah, I couldn’t resist saying what I did when I crossed the line. Well, you couldn’t miss an opportunity like that, could you?”
The emotional outburst after Webber won his maiden Grand Prix was loud and prolonged. Webber’s primal cry and unceasing repeat of “Yes! Yes! Yes!” was fueled by the freedom of a self-belief that had been frequently snarled in fury over the course of 130 attempts. He did this while flailing his right arm about and pressing the radio button with his left thumb. Typically, this victory had not been straightforward because Webber’s first pole position had been impaired by a drivethrough penalty after a first-corner wheel-to-wheel collision with Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn. When Australia’s first GP victory in 28 years was announced at the checkered flag, the head-down reaction and streak of quick laps added to the unbridled jubilation. The first victory was undoubtedly a significant accomplishment, says Webber. “I thought I was prepared for it earlier in my career, but a variety of factors prevented that from happening. Therefore, the pressure valve suddenly burst open!
“It was important that this had not been an attrition race. The victory was on my terms; it hadn’t been given to me. After fracturing my leg [during an extreme cycling race for charity in Tasmania], I had a difficult off-season. In terms of conditioning and fitness, the first half of the year had been challenging for me. Despite starting from pole, I struggled to get off the line and briefly lost sight of Rubens. I didn’t realise where he was until after I had already struck him. Ah mate, here we go again, I did think as I approached the drive-through. But as soon as I got out of the pits, I simply outran and outthought the entire field that day, which was incredibly satisfying. “Knowing I could accomplish that was crucial. On the most important level, this outcome was real. When a result, the relief I felt as I crossed the finish line was just enormous given all of that and all that had happened over the previous eight years in Formula 1.
