Webber ends career with endurance podium

Mark Webber has ended his driving career in motorsport with a podium finish at the season-ending Bahrain Six Hours in the World Endurance Championship.

Mark Webber's motorsport career has ended with a podium finish at the World Endurance Championship's final round at the Six Hours of Bahrain.

The former Australian Formula One driver finished third with Porsche co-drivers Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley after starting on pole position on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

Webber drove the final 25-minute stint, bringing to a close a decorated 20-year career which included nine F1 wins for Red Bull and an Endurance Championship last year.

"I enjoyed the last stint and I got the chance to bring the car to the chequered flag for the top-three finish," he said.

Webber began his full-time driving career in Great Britain's Formula Ford championship in 1996, and borrowed funds from Australian rugby legend David Campese to enter Formula Three in 1997.

He debuted with Minardi in 2002, finishing fifth in his first race in Australia, before also spending time at Jaguar and Williams early in his career.

He finished third in the championship in 2010, 2011 and 2013, remaining in the title hunt until the final race in the first of those years.

"Remember the times aged six when you used to ride your dirt bike on the farm in Australia, commentating to yourself about being in races with your heroes?" he wrote in a letter penned to his younger self last week.

"And the times when go-karting with incredible dreams and ambitions of one day visiting a famous track in Europe like Silverstone or Monaco, let alone the thrill of racing on one?

"You will live out all of these dreams and more, with memories of racing with some of the best in the business-like Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso in your mind forever."

Following his retirement at the end of 2013, he joined Porsche in the WEC, winning eight races - including four in 2016 to finish fourth in the title.

He confirmed last month the season-ending Bahrain race would be his last, and that he has no plans to put on a racing helmet again in any form.

"Nothing is forever," he said after the race.

"I'm stopping at a good time.

"It has been such an incredible three years for me with Porsche."


Share

3 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world