Mark Webber

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Mark Alan Webber is a professional motorsport racer from Australia and he is currently plying his trade for the constructors’ champions Red Bull racing in the Formula 1 circuit. He was born on the 27th of August, 1976 in a simple family where his father was a motorcycle dealer and his mother was just a simple housewife. Webber was interested in sports from his very childhood and he used to spend his afternoons as a ball boy for the Canberra Raiders that was the champion rugby team of the Australian premiership at that time. However, it was in motorsport that his heart truly lay and he has also listed the names of former Formula 1 world champion Alain Prost and Grand Prix motorcycle winner Kevin Schwantz as his idols. Webber started out his racing career with motorcycles and it was not until quite late in 1991, when he was 14 years old that he shifted to four wheels and go karts. He was crowned the champion in New South Wales State Championship in 1993 and from there, he moved up to the Australian Formula Ford championship. He finished in the 14th overall position in his first season and in his next season, he was able to achieve fourth position overall after a few podium finishes on the way.

Mark Alan Webber met championship coordinator Ann Neal during this time and she secured a seven year sponsorship deal with Australian Yellow Pages for him and became Webber’s manager as well. Webber moved to England and raced at the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and in 1996, at the British Formula Ford Championship as well. In 1997, he moved up to Formula Three but due to financial restraints, he almost had to quit midway through the season before he got significant held from Australian rugby legend David Campese. Mark Alan Webber signed for Minardi in the 2002 season and made his first foray into Formula 1bewfore switching to the Ford owned Jaguar in before the start of the 2003 season, where he stayed till the end of the 2004 season. He raced for the Williams team for the 2005 and 2006 seasons before joining his current team Red Bull Racing before the start of the 2007 season. It was with Red Bull Racing that Mark Alan Webber was able to achieve his dream of standing at the top of the podium and all 6 of his victories have come with Red Bull Racing.

WEBBER HAPPY WITH START

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Australian driver Mark Webber has said that he is happy with the start he has made to the 2013 F1 season. Even though he has not secured the points enough to keep him with the leader Sebastian Vettel, Webber is confident that he will be able to get the points needed when the sport returns to Europe with the Spanish Grand Prix in May. Since the season started a few weeks ago, four races have been completed. Webber is currently fifth in the table after these four races.

The 36-year-old Australian was involved in a fight with teammate Sebastian Vettel a few days so go, but he seems to have put that behind him in recent weeks. Webber said that he was extremely satisfied with the performances up until the Chinese Grand Prix. As a result of the poor performances in recent races, Webber has fallen 45 points behind his teammate and current world championship table leader Sebastian Vettel. Webber’s performance in the recent Bahrain Grand Prix was also not up to the mark, as he could only finish in the eighth position.

Webber has said that he has not always been favoured in the Bahrain Grand Prix, and has labelled it as a bogey circuit.

“I think I had good momentum over the winter and drove well in the first three races. China was disappointing but apart from that I’m pretty happy with my performances. I don’t think I’ve ever had a good result around that track, so that’s a bit of a bogey circuit. But we’re going to get to Europe, regroup, and go get them,” said Webber after the Bahrain Grand Prix. Vettel and Webber were involved in a clash after the Malaysian Grand Prix after the former over took Webber despite orders from the team on the radio.

WEBBER’S DAD FURIOUS

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The Red Bull driver Mark Webber’s father has said that the German Sebastian Vettel will need a long time before he earns the trust and respect of his teammate after being involved in a controversial incident at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Mark Webber was leading the race with only 13 laps remaining. Sebastian Vettel was behind him, and he was clearly ordered by the team to stay behind him. Webber had also gone into an engine and tyre saving mode knowing that Vettel has been given clear orders by the team that he should not been overtaken. However, Vettel chose to ignore the orders and overtook Webber.

This incident has created a lot of controversy in the sport. Vettel’s explanations after the race were also not sufficient to explain why he was extremely desperate to win the race. Webber was clearly annoyed after the race, as he stated that he needs to think over the next few weeks in order to get it off the mind. There have also been suggestions that Webber may quit the sport as a result of the consistent favouring by Red Bull towards Vettel. However, his father has denied such speculation by saying that Webber will remain professional. He also said that it is now difficult for Vettel to earn the respect and trust of his son.

“Up and down the pit lane Mark has not lost any credibility at all. It’s probably Sebastian who has lost an awful lot. I think it will take a while to earn the respect and trust again. Sebastian disobeyed team orders and most, if not all the team, are disappointed with him,” said Alan Webber. Meanwhile, the F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has also said he is disappointed with this incident, and he hopes that the two drivers can make up their differences.

NO FAVOURITISM

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After several rumours that the Australian driver Mark Webber could be relegated to the number two position within the team, the Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has confirmed that there is no favouritism between the drivers. Due to the imperious form of the German driver Sebastian Vettel over the years, Webber has been largely overshadowed within the team despite the Australian being one of the experienced drivers on the grid. Vettel recently managed the third consecutive world championship title. Mateschitz has insisted that Red Bull will be providing equal opportunities for Webber to win the world championship title as well.

Red Bull once again expected to dominate the world championship title due to their imperious advantage when it comes to race pace. The Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso acknowledged during last season that Red Bull have been team to beat over the last three years. Vettel has managed to take advantage of the presence of a great car to become the youngest world champion, while also becoming the youngest to win three consecutive world championship titles. There has already been talk of Vettel catching his German counterpart Michael Schumacher, who holds the record for most number of titles at seven. Mateschitz also said that he regards Webber to be an amazing driver.

“I absolutely believe that and I’m certain that it will be so. Mark is at the same time a strong and charismatic character and an exceptional racing driver. It’s a fact that competition begins inside your own team. That means that the environment is tough but friendly, and that’s how it’s supposed to be,” said Mateschitz. “Look, everyone at this level has their own agendas and it’s been evident for a long time now that I’ve never been a part of Marko’s,” said Webber on his personal website.