Porsche driver Mark Webber has announced his retirement, and his final race will be the 2016 WEC final on Saturday in Bahrain. Webber joined Porsche's LMP1 program in 2014 and won seven WEC events with Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley. Last year, the three claimed the drivers' title and finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
His retirement includes resigning from professional motorsports — as long as that entails being behind the wheel of a car (competitively).
"It was a big change from Formula 1 to LMP1 and an entirely new experience," Webber said in a news release. "But it came at the right time for me. I found I liked sharing a car, and the chemistry between Timo, Brendon and me is special and something I'll always remember. It will be strange getting into the race car for the very last time in Bahrain."
However, Webber's career with Porsche is far from over. He will continue a new chapter in his professional ambitions as a special representative for Porsche.
"It's an absolute honor for me to remain with Porsche, and whether it's at the track or away from it, I'm looking forward to putting my 26 years' experience as a competitor to good use in my new role within the company," he said. "In addition to Porsche, I’m incredibly fortunate to be walking into some new and exciting opportunities with Red Bull (who I will have been with for 10 years next year), Channel 4 in the U.K., and Network Ten and Michelin in Australia."
In December 2015, Mark Webber's autobiography "Aussie Grit: My Formula One Journey" debuted from Pan Macmillan. The story manifests overall positive reviews. Racing fans enjoy getting a glimpse of Webber's character and life on the track. One reviewer wrote, "I opened the book disliking the man with a passion; I closed it with newfound respect and admiration. Well done Mark, you have a new fan."
Keeping character intact among all the fame and ego is difficult to accomplish, but it seems to be one of the things that allows Webber to stand out from the crowd. Fans and readers of his book comment that he "doesn't beat around the bush" and always gets straight to the point.
The Porsche 919 Hybrid sports-prototype racing car driven by Timo Bernhard, Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley in Les Combes during the 2016 FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Webber is passionate about seeing people push their limits and live outside their comfort zones. The mark of a true leader can be measured by an impact left on the community.
Outside of motorsports, Webber is known for being competitive in the outdoors. In 2003, he launched the Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge. The charitable multidiscipline race is highly esteemed throughout the world.
Webber has also competed in the Leadville Trail mountain bike race in the Colorado Rockies. Finishing in less than nine hours wasn't good enough for the "Race Across The Sky." Webber returned to shave minutes off his time. True to his word, Webber pushes himself to his limits, as well as helping others be their best.
Early life found Webber with his roots in Australia, hence the name "Aussie Grit" for his autobiography. His father was a motorcycle dealer, and rugby at a young age began teaching Webber about sportsmanship. Racing started first on motorcycles and then graduated to carts as an early teenager. This experience led to a few progressive wins and a face-to-face with Ann Neal, his future manager during a sponsored racing career in Europe.
But all dreams come with a price. Webber was almost forced to quit in the middle of his 1997 season due to financial woes. But unlikely support came in from David Campese, an Australian rugby player. Webber was able to finish out his race season strong and has since paid Campese back.
"We really struggled with the budget early in the year,” Webber said about his 1997 season. "Between Dad and [sponsor] Yellow Pages, we bought the car but we simply didn't have the money to run it. At one point, we were so behind on payments that we decided to ask David Campese for help. He played union with Dad for the Queanbeyan Whites, so he knew our family well, and if anyone was going to buy into what I was trying to do, we thought it would be him. In the end, he paid something like £50,000, which was just unbelievable, and it meant that we could keep going."
And it is a good thing that Webber kept going, or he may have never crossed paths with Porsche. During that difficult 1997 season, Webber was first approached to compete in sportscar racing. He needed some convincing, and after a car flipped twice, Webber moved on again to Formula One, but a door was opened to later return to sportscar racing in 2014.
"I've really, really enjoyed my time in the cockpit with Porsche," Webber said. "And I could never have envisaged having such a dynamic relationship with my two teammates in the #1 919, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley. It's been a sensational three years."
While not known as one of racing's greatest heroes, Webber is certainly a dignified figure that will be missed. He has been mentored about ending his career on a strong note, but another chapter of his career will soon be turning over with Porsche.
