Mark Webber has admitted that he has lost motivation for Formula 1, something he never thought would happen.
The Aussie admitted in an exclusive interview with F1 Racing magazine that he was on the edge of leaving the sport for the last few years, and said that his drop in motivation caused his decision to leave F1.
Webber burst onto the F1 scene in 2002 with backmarkers Minardi. He scored points on his debut, also coincidentally his home race, but the small Italian squad failed to provide a car fast enough to continue scoring.
He then moved to Jaguar where he battled with an often inconsistent and unreliable car. However, he was regularly in the points during his two year spell at the Milton Keynes based squad before moving to Williams in 2005.
That year yielded the first podium of his career, a third place in Monaco, and a much more competitive showing from the Australian. He remained at the team for 2006 but losing BMW power and reverting to Cosworth proved to be a big loss for Williams.
They struggled to score points with a total of 11 retirements. He left the team at the end of the season to re-join Jaguar, now under the familiar name of Red Bull Racing. He scored just one podium in 2007 with none in the following year, but they knew that they would excel in 2009 thanks to the dramatic rule changes.
They proved to be correct, Webber scoring his first race win in 2009 and challenging for the title in 2010. He lost out at the final hurdle and suffered a difficult 2011, winning his only race of the season at the final round.
2012 was a more competitive year for Webber with two more race victories, including a stunning second victory around the streets of Monaco. 2013 has so far proved to be a more difficult task. We had the controversy of Malaysia, where team-mate Sebastian Vettel overtook him for the lead despite being instructed to stay behind, and he has yet to win a race.
Talking to legendary F1 journalist Peter Windsor, Webber explained that the past few years have proved to be difficult as his motivation has dwindled: "I've been on the edge with Formula 1, I think, motivation-wise, for the past couple of years.
"You have to be driven. You turn yourself around each winter and the fire in the belly is not quite what it was when you were 24. It's inevitable. It happens, unfortunately. You never imagine it could happen, but it does."
He added: "And I can tell you this: if I had won the championship in 2010 I would have retired there and then. Bang. Not even sportscar."
Discussing the timing of his retirement, he said: "With the category changing next year from a technical perspective, it was the perfect opportunity for a completely new challenge, with my future sorted. It's a great opportunity for me to be associated with Porsche."
Webber is no stranger to sportscar racing, competing in the FIA GT Championship in 1998 and driving in the Le Mans 24 Hours twice for Mercedes prior to his F1 debut.
The Aussie was asked what the hardest things have been over the past decade. He replied: "Travel and hotels. And probably the repetitive nature of certain aspects of the job. A bit of media. Lots and lots of small things that you're happy to deal with when you're bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. But it does, in the end, force you to ask the question: 'Do I have to be here, doing this?'"
Webber also revealed that his decision to leave F1 was made prior to the 2013 season, with no influence coming from his win-less season so far and the controversy of Malaysia 2013. He made the decision while he was in Noosa, Queensland, over the Christmas period.
Another interesting part of the interview was his revealing that he had the option to go to Ferrari for 2013. "I had the opportunity to go to Ferrari and I could have stayed with our friends at Red Bull for a little while longer," he revealed. "For the future, though, the best decision is to drive for Porsche."
There is no doubt that Webber is a popular guy both in the paddock and with the fans, so he will be sorely missed in the sport. Let's hope that he can end his final season on a high.
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
Webber burst onto the F1 scene in 2002 with backmarkers Minardi. He scored points on his debut, also coincidentally his home race, but the small Italian squad failed to provide a car fast enough to continue scoring.
He then moved to Jaguar where he battled with an often inconsistent and unreliable car. However, he was regularly in the points during his two year spell at the Milton Keynes based squad before moving to Williams in 2005.
That year yielded the first podium of his career, a third place in Monaco, and a much more competitive showing from the Australian. He remained at the team for 2006 but losing BMW power and reverting to Cosworth proved to be a big loss for Williams.
They struggled to score points with a total of 11 retirements. He left the team at the end of the season to re-join Jaguar, now under the familiar name of Red Bull Racing. He scored just one podium in 2007 with none in the following year, but they knew that they would excel in 2009 thanks to the dramatic rule changes.
They proved to be correct, Webber scoring his first race win in 2009 and challenging for the title in 2010. He lost out at the final hurdle and suffered a difficult 2011, winning his only race of the season at the final round.
2012 was a more competitive year for Webber with two more race victories, including a stunning second victory around the streets of Monaco. 2013 has so far proved to be a more difficult task. We had the controversy of Malaysia, where team-mate Sebastian Vettel overtook him for the lead despite being instructed to stay behind, and he has yet to win a race.
Talking to legendary F1 journalist Peter Windsor, Webber explained that the past few years have proved to be difficult as his motivation has dwindled: "I've been on the edge with Formula 1, I think, motivation-wise, for the past couple of years.
"You have to be driven. You turn yourself around each winter and the fire in the belly is not quite what it was when you were 24. It's inevitable. It happens, unfortunately. You never imagine it could happen, but it does."
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
He added: "And I can tell you this: if I had won the championship in 2010 I would have retired there and then. Bang. Not even sportscar."
Discussing the timing of his retirement, he said: "With the category changing next year from a technical perspective, it was the perfect opportunity for a completely new challenge, with my future sorted. It's a great opportunity for me to be associated with Porsche."
Webber is no stranger to sportscar racing, competing in the FIA GT Championship in 1998 and driving in the Le Mans 24 Hours twice for Mercedes prior to his F1 debut.
The Aussie was asked what the hardest things have been over the past decade. He replied: "Travel and hotels. And probably the repetitive nature of certain aspects of the job. A bit of media. Lots and lots of small things that you're happy to deal with when you're bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. But it does, in the end, force you to ask the question: 'Do I have to be here, doing this?'"
Webber also revealed that his decision to leave F1 was made prior to the 2013 season, with no influence coming from his win-less season so far and the controversy of Malaysia 2013. He made the decision while he was in Noosa, Queensland, over the Christmas period.
Another interesting part of the interview was his revealing that he had the option to go to Ferrari for 2013. "I had the opportunity to go to Ferrari and I could have stayed with our friends at Red Bull for a little while longer," he revealed. "For the future, though, the best decision is to drive for Porsche."
There is no doubt that Webber is a popular guy both in the paddock and with the fans, so he will be sorely missed in the sport. Let's hope that he can end his final season on a high.
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