F1 News
Date:
27/June/2013
Red Bull’s Mark Webber will bring his twelve-year F1 career to
a close at this year’s Brazilian season finale.
The Australian is switching to sports car racing with
Porsche, where he will drive the factory’s new LMP1 prototype at the Le Mans 24
Hours and World Endurance Championship.
Webber said: “I'm very much looking forward to this new
challenge after my time in Formula 1. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very
high goals. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the
world.”
Webber, 36, arrived in F1 with Minardi and drove for Jaguar
and Williams before joining Red Bull in 2007, with whom he claimed the first of
nine wins in 2009.
Currently fifth in the Championship with two podiums, Webber
insisted that there had been options to continue in F1, but that “Formula One
as a category wasn’t on my radar for 2014.”
Webber’s post-2013 future at the Red Bull team was in doubt
since the latest high-profile rift with team-mate and reigning triple title
winner Sebastian Vettel, who broke team orders at Sepang.
Webber denied the incident had played a part in his decision
and added that there are plenty of things he will miss about F1.
“I realise F1 is seen as the absolute pinnacle of motorsport
and I’ve worked with some incredible people, in particular [designer] Adrian
Newey.
“I’ve driven in some of the toughest and most challenging
conditions and circuits, and against some incredible drivers which I’ll
continue to do until the end of the year.
“Will I miss some of this? Yes, of course, but time doesn’t
stand still for anyone and it’s time to move on to my next challenge.”
Former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, currently at Lotus,
plus Toro Rosso drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne lead the list of
likely replacements.
Vettel recently extended his Red Bull contract until the end
of 2015.
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