Mark webber racing driver Continue World Cup Career © Sutton Images After joining the Drivers' Championship race in 2010, it's easy to forget that Mark Webber had to fight against the odds of getting to where he is today. His early career was a constant struggle for funding as he emerged from karting and tried to make a name for himself in the Australian Formula Ford. He moved to the UK in 1996 to pursue his dream and lived on the 43 pounds a day he made from working in driving schools across the country. As a race-to-race in a battered B-reg Ford Fiesta, he slowly learned the tracks and won the Formula Ford festival at the end of the year. The British F3 followed in 1997, but he started the season with no money to run the car, and it was only a gift of 50,000 pounds from a family friend who kept it on the way. A chance meeting with Norbert Howg at the Australian Grand Prix led to a test for the Mercedes CLK GTR sports car, and an impressive performance secured him a place in the German car giant's books. He and his co-pilot Bernd Schneider finished second in the 1998 FIA GT Championship for their teammates, and Webber polished his act as a driver. In 1999 he went to Le Mans with a Mercedes, but the crash struck when the car flipped over on two separate occasions at the Mulsanne Straight due to a major aerodynamic malfunction. Webber said: I knew there and then that I had to go back to single. After the second accident, he never drove a Mercedes race car again. The following year he entered the F3000 and got his first test in the Renault Formula One team, impressing the team. Victory in Monaco in the 2001 Formula One support race convinced Flavio Briatore to sign Webber to his management company, and suddenly Formula One became a serious opportunity. Paul Stoddart gave him a break in 2002 driving for Minardi and Webber didn't disappoint. With a very limited Test run he exploded on the Grand Prix stage with a fifth-place finish on his australian debut, to the delight of his home fans. It was his only moment to finish the season, but he opened the door to testing with Jaguar and a race venue in 2003. Webber quickly built a reputation as a fast qualifier, but was an unlucky racer and in 2005 he was offered drives with Renault and Williams. The latter had more recent success, but Renault was an up-and-coming team on the grid (proved by titles in 2005 and 2006). After all, Webber didn't fancy facing Fernando Alonso as a teammate and, contrary to Briatore's wishes, plumped for Williams. This turned out to be a mistake, as he struggled in the team and finished tenth in the overall championship standings. The situation worsened in 2006 as the car was so unreliable that it had to run with the engine abandoned on most tracks. In Monaco he looked set good result (perhaps even a victory), but the car failed on it. By the end of the season he was looking for a way out and did return to the old Jaguar team, now called Red Bull and with Adrian Newey on board as designer. 2009 was his breakthrough season with two wins at the Nurburgring and Interlagos, but he started the season recovering from a broken leg and was unable to give 100%. He also came across Sebastian Vettel as a team-mate for the first time and was comprehensively out qualified and out-scoring. In 2010, he got himself on a par with the young German, but their relationship soured when Webber felt the team was playing for Vettel. The pair collided on the track in Turkey and then Webber was outraged when Red Bull gave Vettel his improved front wing for the British Grand Prix. The rivalry continued until the final race, when Webber arrived with a chance to take the title and with four Grand Prix victories to his name. However, the botched tyre strategy ruined his chances and he had to watch from seventh place as Vettel won the race and title. Webber had hoped to beat Vettel honestly and honestly in 2011, but he struggled with new Pirelli tyres as his team-mate dominated the season and Webber's only victory in the final race in Brazil. With another year of contract under his belt he fared better at the start of 2012 compared to Vettel, but he could not maintain his improved form throughout the season and finished 102 points from his team-mate. Having signed another one-year contract in 2013, Webber's relationship with Vettel reached a new low after his team- mate ignored the team's orders to overtake him and win the Malaysian Grand Prix. Since then, his position at Red Bull has seemed untenable, and at the end of June he announced that he would leave Formula One in 2014 at The Porsche at Le Mans. The strengths and weaknesses of mentally he is one of the toughest drivers in the paddock and his direct-talking approach to F1 has won him a legion of fans. However, he remains prone to a strange error of judgment and has struggled to match Vettel's very pace over the past three years. Career High After waiting more than seven years and 130 races, Webber finally scored his first race victory at the German Grand Prix in 2009. Career Low Facing 1997 British F3 season with enough money to buy a car, but not enough to run it. The quotes This is an incredible day. I wanted to win as badly after Silverstone as I thought I had a good chance there, then after yesterday's pole, I knew I was in a good position to try and win the race today. It's just an incredible day for all the people who helped me get to where I am today. Mark Webber after his first race win, July 2009 not bad for the No.2 driver! Mark Webber's radio message to his team after winning the 2010 British Grand Prix Trivia in 2006 has been officially named The No.1 ticket holder of the Canberra Raiders, the Australian rugby league team. In the late 1980s he worked for the Raiders as a ball boy. May 8, 2020 More details April 21, 2020 More Stuttgart. At the end of the 2016 World Endurance Championship season, Mark Webber will complete his professional racing career to become a Porsche special representative. The six-hour race in Bahrain on November 19 will be the last time the reigning world champion from Australia will compete as a racer. After that, the nine-time Formula One Grand Prix winner will face new challenges: 40-year-old Mark Webber will represent Porsche at the world competitions and as a consultant will contribute by lending his experience to the sports car manufacturer's motorsport programs from Stuttgart. This includes researching talent as well as training go-to-up professionals and a huge number of worldwide Porsche amateur racers. Along with rally legend Walter Roerl (69) Webber is now making a second representative. Both have a successful racing career as well as a huge affinity for Porsche. Mark Webber stands for everything Porsche implies: sportsmanship, the power of endurance, directness and focused work to succeed. He is full of beans and always a thoughtful listener. I want to thank Mark for his excellent performance at the World Endurance Championship, and I am pleased that he will remain closely associated with Porsche in the future, said Oliver Blum, Chairman of the Executive Board of Dr. Ing h.c. F. Porsche AG. Fritz Enzinger, vice president of LMP1, regrets that the driver left the cockpit. Already during the important period of the program, Mark strengthened us with all his experience and organically integrated into the team. Behind the wheel he is an honest fighter, never shy of even the most difficult wheels to the wheel of battle. At the same time, he thinks strategically and is focused on the team. This blend makes it as invaluable as a stamina racer. Winning the 2015 World Cup with Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley almost seemed like a logical consequence. Also, thanks to his performance, we hope to win the world titles for manufacturers and drivers again in 2016. The Porsche team currently ranks first in both classifications. In the World Championship Porsche leads with 238 points, ahead of Audi (185) and Toyota (137). Romain Dumas/Neil Jani/Mark Lieb leads with a score of 37.5, ahead of audi's best trio. There are three races left. I've arrived where I belong, says Mark Webber. Porsche is the brand I've always loved the most, and the one that suits me best. The 911 is iconic - it's got elegance, performance and understatement, and never intrusive. It's just the right car for every scenario. He continues: I will miss the sheer speed, downforce and competition, but I want to leave on a high and I am really looking forward to my new challenges. Mark Webber has no need to quit racing career. His lap time is still top of the half-time sheets, he remains fit, his experience is priceless, and his relationship with teammates has a connection in a lasting friendship. Webber always knew what he wanted after a successful career in Formula One.