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Post by Anna on Sept 2, 2011 20:16:33 GMT
#2 Mark WebberDriver InfoFull Name: Mark Alan Webber Age: 35 Nationality: Australian Twitter: AussieGrit Website: www.markwebber.com/Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_WebberF1 StatisticsRaces: 173 Debut: 2002 Australian GP Points: 593.5 Wins: 6 Podiums: 28 Pole Positions: 9 Fastest Laps: 11 Driver Championships: 0 Highest Championship Pos: 3rd (2010) Current Championship Pos: 4th (182 Points) Recent Championship Positions2010: 3rd (242 Points, 4 Wins) 2009: 4th (69.5 Points, 2 Wins) 2008: 11th (21 Points, 0 Wins) 2007: 12th (10 Points, 0 Wins) 2006: 14th (7 Points, 0 Wins) 2005: 10th (36 Points, 0 Wins) Team History2002: Minardi 2003-2004: Jaguar 2005-2006: Williams 2007-Present: Red Bull Racing Notable Achievements 1996 Formula Ford Festival Winner 2001 F3000 Championship Runner Up 2002 Autosport Rookie Of Year 2006 Lorenzo Bandini Trophy 2010 Hawthorn Memorial Trophy
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Pete
F1 Fanatic
Petonyo
Posts: 215
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Post by Pete on Sept 4, 2011 14:11:37 GMT
Mark Webber says he would have been wrong to leave Red Bull By Jonathan Noble Thursday, September 1st 2011, 09:37 GMT Mark Webber says Red Bull were more dominant in 2010
Mark Webber says it would have been wrong for him to turn his back on Formula 1 this year, because he still feels that he has what it takes to fight for the world championship.
Following the extension of his contract with Red Bull at last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Webber feels that in the end there was only ever one option for him in 2012 - to carry on where he is.
Writing in his BBC column, Webber said: "It might look as if it took a long time to sort out, and I was weighing up various possibilities. But in the end the contract talks were done very quickly.
"I've been an integral part of Red Bull since the start and I still enjoy it there. It would have been a mistake to stop racing."
Webber is currently second in the drivers' championship, but being 92 points behind his team-mate Sebastian Vettel with seven races remaining he only has a slim chance of ending the year on top.
However, Webber is refusing to give up on his chances - and feels that there remains the possibility of a surprise end to the campaign.
"I'm still driving well. I had a bit of a slow start to this year because it took me a little while to get on top of the new tyres. I'm looking forward to taking on Seb - and everyone else - again next year.
"But this year isn't over yet. There are still seven races to go, starting with Monza next weekend, and anything can still happen."
Webber also commented on the tyre blistering controversy that surrounded his team after Spa – and insisted his outfit was not the only one running extreme camber settings.
"It's public knowledge that we were running the camber of our front wheels - the amount they lean away from vertical - on the upper limit of tyre supplier Pirelli's recommendations," he said.
"But I know we're not the only team doing that. In any case, although we could have reduced the camber, it was not absolutely clear that would fix it. We push the cars to the limit and this was just something that happened."
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Post by Anna on Sept 17, 2011 18:04:11 GMT
Horner explains Mark Webber’s problem with starts this season Posted on September 17, 2011 Screen shot 2011-09-17 at 18.15.19
One of the most striking stats from the JA on F1 Strategy Briefing, supported by UBS, is the start record this season of Mark Webber.
The Red Bull driver had lost 20 places on aggregate off the start line and after he lost five places at the start in Spa many readers have posted questions about this recently.
So we spoke to Red Bull boss Christian Horner and he gave this explanation,
“It’s been a culmination of things really, ” he said. “The Spa thing was more a calculation on the Renault side really, measuring the amount of torque that was required and Sebastian was within just 100 revs of having exactly the same start as Mark.
“It was one of those things about the engine tying in with the chassis electronics and not having done a start over the weekend because of the wet weather, more grip than expected and an uphill start – all those factors came together.
Another question many fans want to know is how much of this is dictated by the electronic systems on the car and how much is driver operated.
“Well you have two clutches, so the driver will release one lever and then feed in the other,” explained Horner. “So how they prepare the clutch on the way to the line is important, the engineers give them instructions on the number of burn-outs they need to do. They rehearse religiously to get the clutch clean – the best it can be for the start.
“Then it’s about matching the torque demand from the engine, through the clutch bite point and synchronising that. The drivers have the throttle position which they manage with the foot, then with the clutch he needs to keep his arm light, dumping one lever, feeding in the other one. At the same time he has to use his mirrors to see what’s around him.
“It’s very easy to overslip the tyres, creating wheel spin. It’s easy to underslip, where the engine bogs down and you have a bunny-hop start.
“So it’s a very small window that you are operating in.
“Mark’s had some good starts, unfortunately the bad starts have been when he’s been right up the front.”
Team mate Sebastian Vettel in contrast has lost an aggregate four places off the start, including one in Monza where he started on pole and was second at the end of the first sector of the lap. It is one slight weakness in Red Bull’s otherwise pretty much optimised game, possibly also linked with its sub-optimal KERS system, which has been reduced for packaging purposes. Not only do they have a fast car, they are also top of the pit stop time league table, for example.
Teams do a lot of work on starts, especially if they aren’t working out well, Williams for example was losing a lot of places early in the season and seems to have rectified the problem.
Conversely, teams like Mercedes and Force India have had consistently very strong starts this season.
For a visual explanation of how the clutch levers and bite point adjusters work on an F1 steering wheel, here is a video I shot last season at Team Lotus.
Watch out for the Strategy Briefing for Singapore here on JA on F1 early next week.
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kelli52
Baby F1 Fan
Sebastian Vettel....2010 & 2011 F1 World Champion :)
Posts: 131
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Post by kelli52 on Oct 5, 2011 12:44:11 GMT
Webber: I'll never be world champion
Mark Webber has promised he will be a much stronger competitor next year, but concedes that his best chance of winning the world championship has already passed him by. The Australian has been unable to match the stunning form of team-mate Sebastian Vettel this year, and believes this year's battle was lost on the back of a poor start to the campaign.
In an interview with Yahoo in Singapore, Webber speaks positively about his chances for 2012, but is also mindful of the opportunity that went missing 12 months ago.
"You can expect a stronger me next season and I hope to get a smooth start like we did in 2010," said Webber. "For now, I just want to finish it as strong as I can and get some good results."
When asked if he felt 2010 was his last shot at the world championship, Webber replied: "Yes, of course, I do think that last year was my last chance at being world champion. But I've pushed very, very hard and done many, many things that other people could not have achieved so I'm very proud of what I did."
Reflecting on being team-mate to a driver as strong as Sebastian Vettel, he added: "To win the championship you need 100 per cent from the team. I think it's difficult for the team to give 100 per cent to both drivers as we are both demanding. Looking at the start we actually got, it's clear where the support needs to go and I respect that in some way.
"The team has given me a great opportunity to do well. I ask for a reliable and strong car every weekend and I will give my best. The team knows I always give my best."
Webber also made it clear that when he decides to retire from driving, he will likely turn his back on F1 completely because he is tired of the politics.
"It's a new chapter after you're done driving in F1. I haven't thought so much of what I would do after F1, but it's definitely not here. Now I enjoy the driving but when the day comes and I'm not driving I'll go and do something different.
"Why? Because of the politics I really don't like it."
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Post by Anna on Oct 5, 2011 16:27:10 GMT
That really isn't the way to look at it. To be fair I agree with him, when you strip away the Australian melodrama he talks sense most of the time, possibly why people take him better then Lewis, but it will be sad when he finally goes that he wouldn't want some part in the sport. But if it is important for him to move on good for him .
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Post by Anna on Nov 12, 2011 21:54:38 GMT
Webber reveals Renault interest for 2012 season
"I told them I was going to stay at Red Bull"
Friday 11 November 2011 - 08h55, by GMM Mark Webber has admitted that the Renault team expressed interest in signing him before he agreed to stay at Red Bull in 2012.
"Not only them, I was approached by several teams," the Australian, who has had a difficult season alongside new back to back world champion Sebastian Vettel, told O Estado de S.Paulo in an interview.
"They (Renault) asked about my situation at Red Bull," revealed Webber.
"I have experience, they need experience, but I told them I was going to stay at Red Bull," said the 35-year-old.
The news is surely a sign that Renault believes it needs to sign a team leader for 2012, with continuing uncertainty about Robert Kubica’s return from injury.
It also raises the question as to whether the leading role would be better for Webber than staying at Red Bull, where in the last two years there have been signs of him being a de-facto number two.
Will he get a fair deal alongside Vettel in 2012?
"I believe so," answered Webber, with interviewer Livio Oricchio noting that the answer came only after "a deep breath and some time to reflect".
On the other hand, he is optimistic.
"By the time I understand how to use these tyres better it was too late for this year, but I think it will be possible to start next season at a high level, which makes all the difference," said Webber.
And if it doesn’t work out, F1 might have to say goodbye to one of its most honest and straightforward characters, who calls himself ’Aussie Grit’ on Twitter.
"Someone like me who has come through from teams without many resources, like Minardi and Williams and then come to a championship structure like we have at Red Bull, there is no going backwards.
"From here I will go home, not to a small team again. So when I leave here I will do something else rather than race in formula one," added Webber.
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Post by Anna on Dec 19, 2011 12:59:20 GMT
Alonso jokes as Webber wins FIA ’prize’
"Jenson, Fernando and I had had a bit of a joke"
Monday 19 December 2011 - 08h12, by GMM Mark Webber has revealed he had mixed feelings when he beat Fernando Alonso to third place in the 2011 constructors’ standings.
The pair, who are friends, lead similarly guarded private lives, so in the closing stages of the championship they considered the ’prize’ that went along with pipping the other to the post for third place.
"Only the top three drivers have to go", said Australian Webber, referring to the official FIA prize-giving gala, which was held recently in India.
"Jenson, Fernando and I had had a bit of a joke on the drivers’ parade before the final race of the season in Brazil last month.
"We were all keen to improve our championship positions, but none of us were that up for any extra travel," he wrote in his last BBC column for the year.
"In the end, I won in Brazil, relegating Fernando to fourth. He’s an intense competitor but I don’t think he was that unhappy about losing out by one point," said Webber.
"I got a text message from him the day before I was going to India, reminding me that I had to go. It was along the lines of ’This is your captain speaking, your flight is ready for boarding’. It made me smile."
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Post by Anna on Jan 2, 2012 23:29:03 GMT
2011 end of term report – Mark Webber
258 points, 3rd in the drivers’ championship
Thursday 29 December 2011 - 16h25, by Sandrine Bouchard Like some other drivers, Mark Webber needed some time to adapt to the new Pirelli tyres. As a consequence, he struggled a bit for pace and couldn’t challenge his teammate Sebastian Vettel. He scored a single win, in Brazil, and finished 3rd in the championship.
Season review
Racing at home for the opening round of the season, Mark Webber was hopeful of making it on the podium. The win was obviously his target but he couldn’t challenge for it as he had some technical problems and struggled to take the maximum out of his car.
Third on the starting grid, he finished the race in fifth place… while his teammate won from pole. He once again qualified on the second row in Malaysia but lost several places at the start. Tenth after the opening lap he managed to move up to 4th place and set the fastest lap of the race. At the next round, he had a disastrous qualifying session and was eliminated in Q1. It gave him more flexibility strategy-wise and he made the most of it to cross the finish line in 3rd position.
He qualified on the front row in Turkey but lost a position to Rosberg at the start. He reclaimed 2nd on lap 5 and spent the rest of the race fighting with Fernando Alonso. He finished 2nd behind his teammate – it was Red Bull’s first one-two of the year. In Spain, he clinched the pole position but couldn’t capitalize on it as he, once again, lost places at the start. He eventually finished 4th.
At Monaco, he took the chequered flag in fourth position despite a long pit stop. He was on the podium in Canada and at Valencia. Then, in Great-Britain, he took his second pole of the season but lost the lead at the start. He was 3rd after the last pit stops and closed on his teammate Vettel. Ignoring the team’s instructions, he tried to attack the German in the last couple of laps but couldn’t find a way past him.
He had probably one of his best weekends of the year in Germany. He qualified ahead of Vettel and had a better race. He lost a place to Hamilton at the start and finished in 3rd position behind Hamilton and Alonso.
Fifth in Hungary after a difficult race, he bounced back in Belgium where he finished second behind Vettel. However, his race at Spa will be remembered for his brilliant move on Alonso at ‘Raidillon’. He had his only retirement of the year in Italy. He crashed out of the race after breaking his front wing in a collision with Massa’s Ferrari.
He scored five top four finishes in the next five races. In Brazil, he was able to capitalize on Vettel’s gearbox problem and won the race. This first victory of the season sealed him 3rd in the drivers’ championship.
Conclusion
Mark Webber couldn’t make the most of his RB7 despite it being the best car on the grid. He finished 134 points behind his teammate Sebastian Vettel and 22 points behind Jenson Button. He scored only one win and his results clearly suffered from the comparison with Vettel’s.
He renewed his contract with Red Bull for one more year and will do all he can to improve next year. His goal will obviously be to get much closer to the reigning World Champion.
Highs Three pole positions Some great races Win at Interlagos
Lows Outshone by Vettel Struggled to adapt to the Pirelli tyres Lost many places at the start
Nextgen-Auto.com marks: Oliver Ferret : 13/20 D.Thys : 14/20 Sandrine Bouchard : 15/20 Jean-Michel Setbon : 13/20 Average mark on the forum Nextgen-Auto.com : 13/20 Total : 68/100
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Post by Anna on Jan 25, 2012 10:07:35 GMT
Webber confirms Tasmania Challenge for 2012
25 January 2012
Mark Webber has confirmed that his Tasmania Challenge will be returning this year. This follows immense success for the event in 2011, with some 100,000 Australian dollars (£67,000) having been raised. However, there was a postponement after the Red Bull driver suffered a broken leg in an accident at the end of 2008.
“The 2011 Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge was an amazing success, with over $100,000 being donated to charity, and we are aiming to make the 2012 event even bigger with a number of exciting new editions,” Webber explains.
“I have another big year ahead of me and I am looking forward to testing my limits again around the beautiful island of Tasmania straight after the last round in Brazil.”
The five-day race will start in the city of Launceston, progressing through settings such as the Bay of Fires and Bicheno before finishing in Hobart on 2 December.
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kelli52
Baby F1 Fan
Sebastian Vettel....2010 & 2011 F1 World Champion :)
Posts: 131
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Post by kelli52 on Feb 12, 2012 17:46:19 GMT
Mark Webber has again refuted rumours that the upcoming Formula 1 championship will be his last on the grid.
The 35-year-old Australian has given his all in recent years, but has not matched the double world championship winning exploits of team-mate Sebastian Vettel and, as a result, has seen some of the young up-and-comers in the sport linked with usurping his race seat.
The driver has never put an exact date on when he may quit the team or the sport, however he has been quoted by Australia's The Sunday Age as saying that it will certainly not be at the end of 2012.
“I've been through enough on and off the track to know that nothing is forever," he told the newspaper. "(According to the media) I was supposed to be replaced by Kimi (Raikkonen) four years ago."
Toro Rosso’s use of youngsters Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo are behind much of the speculation with the latter – a compatriot of Webber - fancied to go a long way.
On him, Webber added: "I think what could and will happen is that when you have Australians winning and if Daniel goes on to have a good career, which I have no doubt that he will, it stimulates more people to have a crack at it
“But it won't be made any easier in many ways. I still think you'll have to be trying very hard."
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