Posted on the Formula 1 website on 19 November 2013.<\/p>\n
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Mark Webber burst onto the Formula One scene with a terrific fifth place for Minardi at his home Grand Prix in Australia in 2002. Since then he\u2019s won nine races (including Monaco twice), scored 13 pole positions and stood on the podium 41 times. Now, on the eve of his last Grand Prix, the popular Australian discusses walking away from F1 racing, the highs and lows of his 12-year career, and unfinished business at Le Mans\u2026<\/p>\n
Q: Mark, one more race to go and then your F1 career is history\u2026
\nMark Webber:<\/b>\u00a0Can\u2019t wait! (laughs)<\/p>\n
Q: \u2026now that it is so close, are there any thoughts of regret?
\nMW:<\/b>\u00a0Of course not. It\u2019s been great, but I need the next chapter now.<\/p>\n
Q: You\u2019ve spent more than a decade in Formula One racing – and now you walk out of the paddock that easily?
\nMW:<\/b>\u00a0What\u2019s the option? You can\u2019t be half pregnant! You do it or you don\u2019t. And do something else.<\/p>\n
Q: You\u2019re not leaving one year too early?
\nMW:<\/b>\u00a0No. Not at all.<\/p>\n
Q: When you look at your time with Red Bull Racing – alongside Sebastian Vettel – always being close to winning the title yourself, where would you say things didn\u2019t go in your favour?
\nMW:<\/b>\u00a0Ah, 2010 was close. 2012 was also pretty good. Ultimately I haven\u2019t had enough points at the end of the year. (laughs)<\/p>\n
Q: That is the maths behind not winning the title. But to get there \u2018things\u2019 must have happened\u2026
\nMW:<\/b>\u00a0Not quick enough!<\/p>\n
Q: Could it be that you haven\u2019t had enough elbows?
\nMW:<\/b>\u00a0I think passing cars was the problem!<\/p>\n
Q: Fernando Alonso called you an \u2018old school\u2019 driver – a gentleman driver. Are gentlemen not in demand any longer?
\nMW:<\/b>\u00a0I was on the transition of obviously a different generation. Maybe call it \u2018old school\u2019\u2026 I don\u2019t know how the new generation feels – probably a bit differently. When looking back, back then we drove with two pedals, with three pedals, with clutch, without clutch – in a word: very different cars than they are now. When we were traveling there was no Internet and so on. But then look at the seventies – the sport was very different then. I don\u2019t really know what \u2018old school\u2019 means, but yes, I am a bit old for the sport – and I am not worried about being a bit old. I had a good time – and now I am looking for new stuff.<\/p>\n
Q: Your relationship with Sebastian was tense. Red Bull motorsport consultant Dr Helmut Marko believes that this started in 2008 in Fuji, where you had eaten fish the evening before, you were throwing up in the race, you wanted to stop but overcame the nausea, you were in second place with a clear chance of winning – and then Toro Rosso youngster Sebastian hit you from behind. Is he right?
\nMW:<\/b>\u00a0He\u2019s wrong. It was a good fight with Lewis (Hamilton) and Seb. Actually it wasn\u2019t Lewis\u2019 best time in that safety-car phase back then. There was no serious issue with Seb.<\/p>\n
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Q: What were your best F1 moments?
\nMW:<\/b>\u00a0Getting into Formula One – that without doubt was a massive moment for me. I got there in quite a tough way. For many, many years I was trying to break into Formula One and finally got there – that was super rewarding for me to get there on merit. My first contract was for three races! I didn\u2019t do too badly, and now, 250 races later, I can say I\u2019ve survived. Your first win is another massive event. You do win in all the categories below Formula One – as that is the entrance ticket that you need – but then to win in Formula One is a whole different matter. And more importantly, I won in my own style. Special moments were winning Monte Carlo and Silverstone. Of course on the other hand not winning the 2010 title was one of the toughest moments – but that\u2019s life: if you shoot for the stars you sometimes miss! So yes, that was very disappointing, but I am still super proud of taking the fight for the title until the very last race. And it was not an easy year fighting for the title. Ha, I did not pick the easy year – I did not pick a \u2018Jenson\u2019 year! (laughs) I picked the year after, which was pretty tough. But if you have such a long career you have many tough moments. Valencia – a big crash there – and the Williams times – difficult moments – but that\u2019s part of a driver\u2019s life if you do 12 years in that sport: you do have ups and downs.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>Q: When you compare your Mercedes crash at Le Mans and the Valencia crash in the Red Bull – both of them somersaults – which was more frightening?