Abu Dhabi: It was perhaps fitting that motorsport veteran Mark Webber’s maiden global crown, secured on Saturday, came in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
At the age of 39, the Australian continues to compete with an unyielding competitive spirit, while many of his contemporaries have swapped the rigours of racing for the sanctuary of the television commentary box.
Webber’s enduring and distinguished career had seen him battle gamely against more gifted drivers such as multiple world champions Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel in Formula One.
Six quick questions for Mark Webber
Living up to his ‘Aussie Grit’ moniker, Webber won nine grands prix from 215 starts between 2002 and 2013, but never achieved championship glory.
He came closest to this in 2010 when, at the final race of the season, the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, an eighth-place finish meant he agonisingly finished third in the world title race.
Intensifying his misery was the fact that his Red Bull team-mate Vettel, with whom he had a tempestuous relationship, won to clinch his second world crown.
In a telephone interview with Gulf News ahead of next week’s Abu Dhabi GP, Webber discussed that devastating moment, his love of his new activity and current F1 issues.
Is he still haunted by memories of 2010?
Webber replied: “Look, I did everything I could that year but just came up a bit short. When I left Australia, I never thought I’d have a chance at a world championship.
“I have very few regrets. I had two crashes that year and I just didn’t have enough points in the end. If you ask a guy who has one world title, he wants two. If someone hasn’t got one, he wants one. If you ask a guy who doesn’t have a grand prix victory, he wants one.
“It’s just human nature. We’re competitive guys and we always want more.”
Webber candidly admits that contention for F1’s ultimate prize was impressive enough for someone who lacked the class of his illustrious rivals.
He continued: “Was I capable of being a multiple world champion? Absolutely not. I’m not in [two-time world champion] Fernando’s league.
“But not many people can take a world championship to the last race and I was one of those guys. I’m very relaxed about that and still pretty proud. I don’t think about what I could have done.”
The FIA World Endurance Championship may not have the lustre of F1, but the fact that all of its seven races are at least six hours in duration conveys the magnitude of Webber’s endeavours.
In only his second season with Porsche, Webber and his two team-mates, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, clinched the title with a fifth-placed fifth at the 6 Hours of Bahrain race on Saturday. Their success had been teed up by a run of four straight victories.
“It’s been pretty intense due to the endurance nature,” said Webber.
He has also revelled in the unpredictability of his new discipline, something which F1 arguably lacks due to the metronomic brilliance of world champions Mercedes and the shortage of overtaking opportunities.
Webber said: “In very long races, there are a lot more opportunities for things to unfold that are tricky to handle. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s been a big challenge for me.”
A world title is naturally “very special and rewarding” for Webber.
Meanwhile, his former activity F1 is undergoing “a transitional phase”.
Webber has been outspoken about a dearth of characters in the sport, which he feels lacks the visceral thrill of old.
New technology introduced in recent years, such as quieter V6 turbo hybrid engines, has also attracted criticism.
Webber says dissension about the sport’s future must be addressed immediately by supremo Bernie Ecclestone and his board.
But is the redoubtable 85-year-old too old to instigate a revolution?
Webber says Ecclestone may lack knowledge about how to digitally market the sport, but says the absence of a unified plan of action endorsed by manufacturers, teams and drivers is the biggest issue.
He also advocates finding a way of not having to “change tyres every five minutes”, so that spectators are not turned off by constant interruptions.
What does he think about four-time world champion Alain Prost’s assertion to Gulf News last year that the Formula E championship for electric cars could usurp F1 in the popularity stakes?
Webber replied emphatically: “Never, never, never. I’m a big Alain Prost fan, but I don’t agree with that. I hope he’s wrong.
“People like to see others doing things they can’t do themselves, being quick and incredibly on the edge, which Formula E isn’t.”
But despite its problems, F1’s capacity to invigorate endures, as witnessed by the carnival crowd scenes at the Mexico Grand Prix earlier this month.
“That was a real shot in the arm for F1,” Webber said of the race, which returned to the F1 calendar after a 23-year absence. “The TV shots looked awesome and it was brilliant to see.
“It’s the same as Abu Dhabi, which showcases the sport in a really good light unlike many circuits on the calendar.”
There is further encouragement for F1 in that it possesses a genuine global sporting superstar in Lewis Hamilton, the three-time champion, who Webber notes has “penetrated the American market” through his preternatural talent and charisma.
Can the Briton challenge Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world titles?
Webber said: “Phwoar. Michael’s record is a long way off. But Lewis is exceptional, having won three world titles.
“Will he get seven? He has a chance. He’s already in a very elite club. He’s always been quality, but now he’s found his mojo in a quick car. The best drivers always find the best cars, capitalise on that.
“With the form he’s in, he has the momentum to carry on.”
Does he have any sympathy for Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, who has finished runner-up in the title race for the second year running?
“No, Nico Rosberg has done his best,” Webber said. “But Lewis has won a lot of races, it’s as simple as that. He just hasn’t been able to get on top of Lewis, there are fine margins.
“I don’t think Nico is looking for any hugs or cuddles.”
Meanwhile, Webber claims his fellow Australian driver, Daniel Ricciardo, can continue to cement himself as one of the greatest characters on the grid due to his “warm and engaging” nature and “one-liners”.
But Ricciardo’s team — and Webber’s former stable — Red Bull have been plunged into crisis this year after dropping Renault as their engine supplier for 2016.
With Mercedes refusing to provide a replacement and Ferrari only offering year-old power units, Red Bull’s future remains shrouded in doubt.
However, Ricciardo hinted on Saturday that a positive announcement would be made at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Webber is equally optimistic that the team he served between 2007 and 2013 can find a solution to their current turmoil.
He praised billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz’s vow to save the jobs of more than 1,000 staff even if he pulls the plug on the team’s F1 involvement, adding: “Hopefully they will get things right to have a competitive car next year and be where they deserve to be.”
An interview with Webber would not be complete without asking him about his erstwhile nemesis, Vettel.
Of the German’s chances of mounting a more serious challenge to Mercedes’ domination next year, Webber’s feelings towards his old foe are betrayed by his curt reply.
“Yeah, absolutely. Why not?” ‘Aussie Grit’ said through gritted teeth.
