Zitat Mark Webber to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2013 season By Andrew Benson Chief F1 writer
Red Bull driver Mark Webber has decided to leave F1 at the end of this season.
The 36-year-old Australian is joining German company Porsche's new sportscar programme, which includes an assault on the classic Le Mans 24 Hours.
Webber had options to stay in F1, either with Red Bull or another top team, but feels it is time to move on in his career.
Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen is favourite to replace him, with Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo or Jean-Eric Vergne options.
Webber described it as an "honour" to race for Porsche, adding: "Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding performance and technology at the highest level.
"I'm very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world."
In 12 years in F1, Webber has won nine grands prix, achieved 36 podium finishes, 11 pole positions and 15 fastest laps and twice finished third in the World Championship. Webber's stats and facts
Born: 27 August 1976, Queanbeyan
Nationality: Australian
Grand Prix debut: Australia 2002
Wins: 9
Pole positions: 11
Podiums: 36
Teams: Minardi, Jaguar, Williams, Red Bull
Webber's best season was 2010, when he led the championship for much of the year before faltering in the final three races, falling behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
He has developed a reputation as a tough but fair competitor, with a direct and honest approach to the media, whose time at Red Bull has been characterised by an uneasy relationship with Vettel.
The German is championed by the company's motorsport adviser Helmut Marko, and Webber has often felt he has not benefited from the same support.
The tension has boiled over on several occasions during their five years as team-mates, most recently at this season's Malaysian Grand Prix, when Vettel ignored a direct team order not to overtake Webber to win the race.
The German initially apologised after the race, but subsequently said he would do the same thing again.
Webber was furious and it was widely believed that the drivers' fractious relationship meant he could not stay with Red Bull in 2014.
But Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz, with whom Webber has always had a close relationship, made it clear he could stay on if he wanted to, saying in April: "Whether he retires, only he will choose but Mark is definitely a candidate for 2014. He is always welcome with us."
Webber did consider staying with Red Bull for another season. But he has decided that with the big change in regulations next year that will dramatically alter the demands of F1 it is a good time to move on to a fresh challenge in a new category where he believes his long-term future lies.
He has never been a fan of the rapidly degrading Pirelli tyres that have been used in F1 since 2011 - Webber believes they prevent drivers pushing to the limit throughout the race, a characteristic he believes should be an integral part of the sport. Play media
He is 37 this August, an age that for a Formula 1 driver he has admitted is "long in the tooth in some people's eyes", and recognised that even if he stayed on for another year, his time in the sport was limited.
Webber could have gone to another top team - at least one approached him - but felt that would be the wrong thing to do.
For one thing, Red Bull has produced the fastest car in F1 since 2009; for another he decided against a move to Ferrari last year partly because he felt that with time running out on his career the effort of getting used to a new environment was not worth it.
He will now spearhead Porsche's attempt to revive its glory days at Le Mans, a race it has won 16 times, the last in 1998.
Webber has raced at Le Mans twice before - with Mercedes in 1998 and 1999.
He was on pole position in 1998 but the car he shared with Germans Klaus Ludwig and Bernd Schneider retired after only 19 laps.
The following year an aerodynamic flaw in the Mercedes car caused him to flip on two separate occasions at more than 200mph, both times emerging without injury.
He said afterwards that he would never return to Le Mans because of the danger involved, but the lure of representing Porsche has proved too much to resist.
Wow I did not expect this. " title="blink" /> Read the rumors about Porsche weeks ago, but didn´t thought, Mark will leave the F1! Lets see, what will happen now. " title="hmm" />
ZitatMark Webber says he never considered staying in F1 in 2014 By Jonathan Noble Thursday, June 27th 2013, 10:10 GMT
Mark Webber has revealed that staying in Formula 1 in 2014 was never a consideration for him, even though he had options to remain in the sport.
The Australian will join Porsche's new sportscar programme next year, bringing an end to his long career in F1.
His current Red Bull team had intended to speak to Webber about his future over the summer, and other outfits were understood to be interested in luring him.
However, Webber said on Thursday that offers in F1 were of no interest to him because he was determined to go and do something different.
In an interview that appeared on his official website that asked if he had options to stay in F1, he said: "Yes, but since Formula 1 as a category wasn't on my radar for 2014, they weren't a consideration for me."
Webber made it clear that recent Red Bull controversies - like the 'Multi 21' team orders affair in Malaysia - had not influenced his decision however.
"No, I've had a personal plan and I've stuck to it. This is the next chapter," he said.
He added: "I never asked the team for more work but I've remained in touch with Dietrich Mateschitz over the last six to eight months and he's been absolute quality for me.
"Going forward I will remain tightly inside the Red Bull family, working with the brand, and watching and supporting fellow Red Bull athletes push the boundaries."
Webber also played down talk that he could return to F1 in the future, especially with F1 moving to new engine rules for 2014.
"I'd say it's extremely unlikely, particularly given the new direction the category is going in," he said. "You would be out of touch very quickly."
So this makes Kimi the oldest and more experienced driver in F1 for the 2014 season...
Actually, Alonso and Button aren't to far off. Not in age and not in experience. Personaly I won't be missing Webber, but for me, what really will make a hole in F1, is when Kimi and Alonso retire. So I hope they at least stay for another 3 years. Because after them, there's only Vettel and Hamilton and after them... nothing.
Kimi Räikkönen is the hottest name on this summer's driver market in F1. His switch from Lotus to Red Bull seems like the most obvious option.
Close relationships
Red Bull's whole management, owner Dietrich Mateschitz , team manager Christian Horner and manager of sport activities Helmut Marko, they all appreciate tremendeously Räikkönen's talents. The team wanted intensively Kimi to their team already in summer 2009, but Räikkönen was fed up with the politics in F1 switched over to rally. It's descriptive that Red Bull financed his first season in WRC up to every last euro. No other former F1-driver has ever been given the same priviledge.
The team's WCC-title
Although Red Bull's talent from the youth academy, Jean-Eric Vergne, who is at the moment racing in Toro Rosso, has lately been brought up in paddock-speculations as one option to replace Mark Webber, his experience isn't yet enough in order to provide the WCC-title for the team. And Sebastian Vettel can't do it on his own. The team wants to win both titles every season, hence Vergne is only a plan B.
Dream Team
Every ambitious F1-team wants to hire the two best drivers possible, although history has proven the risks involved. As an example we can take Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost and their bloody civil war in McLaren.
Webber is still a first class F1-pilot, but he turns soon 37 years old and his career is on a downhill with the exception of more and more rare shooting stars. On top of that the team has had it with the inflamed relationship between Webber and Vettel.
Reliability
Perhaps Räikkönen doesn't belong to F1:s small elite group as a qualification-driver, but as a racing driver he might well be the best in the whole F1-serie. Although Kimi drives flat-out in races he doesn't much make any mistakes. One thing that tells about his incredible reliability is that he has scored points in the last 24 races. Only 7xWDC Michael Schumacher has been able to do that in 2001–03. This weekend in Silverstone Räikkönen has a possibility to re-write the historical record.
Market value
The uncompromising and silent walker of his own path used to be the PR-machinery's worst nightmare, but during the years Räikkönen has turned his spaghetti-western Clint Eastwood -style into his strenght. The weard freak of nature has refined into the paddock's coolest guy, who to the joy of his employer only concentrates on driving instead of jabbering. They admire Kimi's attitude in Red Bull's camp. There they know that Räikkönen will conquer the big audience's heart with his mere presence. It doesn't demand meaningless sentences or obeying stiff etiquettes.
Hunger for victory
Räikkönen drives for victory. He still wants the machinery that enables him to do so and Lotus can only randomly offer him that machinery. The doors to other top teams are locked, although Kimi is still fully appreciated in McLaren, Mercedes an Ferrari. Yet none of them are any realistic option. McLaren has a binding contract with Jenson Button and Sergio Pérez and Mercedes also has the same with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. And Kimi isn't interested in going back to Maranello.
Adrian Newey
Red Bull has ruled the F1-serie for this whole decade. Next season regulations in F1 change radically when switching to V6 -turbo engines. Red Bull's capacity to start from a clean sheet is in a completely different class than Lotus-team's is, they are still yanking in the financial leash. Although the genious specialized especially in aerodynamics, head designer Adrian Newey, is afraid that F1 is changing into a sheer battle between engine manufacturers, he if anyone can most efficiently take advantage of the loopholes in the new regulations.
Ambition
Just like Kimi, Red Bull races only to win. They have conquered each of the six titles from last years, but they still seem to be hungry. Vettel's recently published contract is a signal that speaks a lot of his trust in the team in the long run. Owner Dietrich Mateschitz has already informed in public that he is craving for Räikkönen's signature. Negotiations with manager Steve Robertson are already far.
Vettel-friendship
Vettel doesn't have many buddies left on the paddock, but he gets along with Räikkönen as much as it's possible in F1. They have enjoyed each others company for long already and the respect is mutual. Just like it was between Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen back in the times. Of course Vettel's and Räikkönen's friendship would be measured only in Red Bull and after a possible armtwist over the WDC, but the starting points for a peaceful coexistence are more encouraging than usual. As long as Kimi gets an equal treatment - that's the only thing he demands.
Adventurous
Räikkönen is 34 years old in October. He has looked for new challenges up to rally and Nascar during his whole career. Kimi has been through almost all successful F1-teams during this decade: McLaren, Ferrari and even Renault derivatively, on which Lotus was built upon. He only lacks one team: Red Bull. Kimi knows that Red Bull isn't as strictly conservative as McLaren or like Ferrari living under uncontrollable emotional states, instead Red Bull is a kindred spirit to his current employer: a fresh, liberal and inspiring community.
Zitat Oskari Saari @OskariSaari 44s Kimi to #mtv3f1: RB and Lotus options for 2014. Likely to continue in F1. Some talks already going on. "Of course anything can happen."
ZitatOskari Saari @OskariSaari 4m Kimi to #mtv3f1 "Of course RB is an interesting option. There'd have to be something wrong with you if a winning team didn't interest you."
ZitatJennie Gow @JennieGow 55s Kimi: "I can do whatever I want - I don't have a contract. That's no secret. I haven't made any decision.When I do ill let people know." #F1
Print view
Wed Jun 26, 2013 1:05 pm
reply
" title="blink" /> just saw the news! 
" title="holy" /> 
" title="suomi" /> 
" title="bliss" />
" title="hmm" />
" title="lol" />
h" title="hih" />
