Final race will be emotional: Mark Webber

Australian Mark Webber is looking forward to retirement but admits his final professional race in the Bahrain endurance event will be emotional.

Formula One driver Mark Webber

Australian Mark Webber admits his final professional race this week in Bahrain will be emotional. (AAP)

Mark Webber is eagerly awaiting freedom from the stress of competition but admits his final professional race will be emotional.

The Australian will end his 20-year racing career with the world endurance season-ender in Bahrain on Saturday.

"Bahrain is obviously not a normal race for me. It will be pretty emotional," Webber said.

"To arrive there knowing it is the last time I will compete seriously will be a big moment."

The 40-year-old has raced more than 200 Forumula One grands prix over 12 seasons, winning nine and finishing third in the drivers' championship on three occasions with Red Bull.

He previously spent time with Minardi, Jaguar and Williams.

Webber won the world endurance championship with Porsche last year with Germany's Timo Bernhard and New Zealander Brendon Hartley after retiring from F1 at the end of the 2013 season.

The Canberra driver believes the time is right to hang up his helmet after the six-hour race at the Bahrain International Circuit.

"Of course we would love to go out with a victory," Webber said.

"But irrespective of the result, I think it would be nice for me to have a smooth day and look back on a very, very long career of which I'm, of course, very proud.

"I thought about it a few times. I will walk away from the car just one more time, take the helmet and balaclava off and the ear plugs out, doing all these things for one last time.

"That will be very different, but I'm looking forward to not having to do this in the future."

Webber's Porche team sit fourth on the championship leaderboard after victory in Shanghai earlier this month, with their teammates Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb and Neel Jani taking out the title with one race remaining.

Webber is set to take up a role as a Porsche special representative at global events and work as a consultant on motorsport programs.


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Source: AAP


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