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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.

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Source: AAP


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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.

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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."


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