On 27 August 1976,[1] Webber was born to middle-class parents,[2] motorcycle dealer and petrol station owner Alan Webber and his wife Diane,[a] in the smallNew South Wales town ofQueanbeyan located in the Tablelands, on theQueanbeyan River banks,[4][5] nearCanberra.[6] His paternal grandfather was a firewood merchant. Webber has an elder sister, Leanne. He was educated at the nearby Isabella Street Primary School andKarabar High School (KHS). Webber represented KHS inathletics andrugby league and didAustralian rules football,cricket andswimming after his mother encouraged him to get involved in as many sports as possible.[7] At age 13, he was aball boy for the rugby league teamCanberra Raiders for a year and earned money delivering pizzas in the Canberra and Queanbeyan areas in his late schooling years.[7][8] Webber also worked as an apprentice plumber and woodcutter.[8]
Webber lives in the UK, in the small Buckinghamshire villageAston Clinton with his wife Ann Neal, his former manager, and is stepfather to her son from a previous relationship, Webber is a supporter ofSunderland.[5][9]
Webber began driving motorbikes on weekends from about age four or five on his maternal grandfather's 2,500-acre (1,000 ha) farm.[10][9] Webber was not encouraged to seriously take up motorcycling by his father,[10] because he sponsored some local children who were injured in motorbike accidents.[11] At about 12 or 13, he switched tokarting, buying ago-kart from a school friend's father. He developed himself at a local indoor go-kart centre near his home. Webber received a second-hand worn out go-kart from his father in 1990 and drove it about once a month at the Canberra Go-Kart Club and in meetings in and around Canberra.[10][12] Andy Lawson, owner of Queanbeyan Kart Centre, built karts around Webber's frame and Webber's father leased his petrol station and worked long hours at a car dealer to fund his son's karting activities.[10] Webber opted for karting,[12] and made his junior-level karting debut in 1991 aged 14,[13][14] winning the 1992 Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales (NSW) State championships.[12] In 1993, Webber won the Canberra Cup, the King of Karting Clubman Light Class titles, the 1993 Top Gun Award at the Ian Luff Advanced Driving School,[13] and the 1993 NSW Junior National Heavy Championship in a Lawson kart with a larger, more powerful engine.[10]
In1994, he made his car racing debut, competing in the eight-roundAustralian Formula Ford Championship featuring non-aerodynamically dependent open-wheel racing vehicles fitted with treaded tyres. He droveCraig Lowndes' championship-winning 1993 RF93 Van Diemen FF1600 car that his father purchased.[14][15] Webber achieved a season-high third atPhillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for 14th in the Drivers' Championship with 30 points and second in the Rookie of the Year standings.[b][13][16] He was disqualified from the non-championshipAustralian Grand Prix Formula Fordsupport race for passing the field on theformation lap.[16] In late 1994, Webber's father asked English-born media officer Ann Neal to locate sponsorship for Webber; Neal located support from the AustralianYellow Pages after she and Webber reviewed six proposals.[11][16] Webber moved to Sydney from Queanbeyan to be closer to Australia's motor racing industry. When not racing, he earned money working part-time as a driving instructor atOran Park Raceway defensive driving school.[17]
In1997, he elected to skipFormula Renault and Formula Vauxhall on sponsors advice,[25] and signed a contract to progress to the higher-tierBritish Formula Three Championship withAlan Docking Racing (ADR).[24][26] Webber was ADR's lead driver complemented by two funded non-competitive teammates,[18] and was told to bring funding to ADR.[4] Driving aDallara F397 car powered by an oldMugen Honda engine purchased by the Webber family,[25][27] he won the Brands Hatch Grand Prix event and came fourth overall with 131 points.[25][28] Webber was voted Rookie of the Year as 1997's highest-placed rookie.[29][30] His funding almost dried up mid-season until motor racing journalistPeter Windsor suggested Webber solicit funding from rugby union player and family friendDavid Campese to complete the year and stop Webber ending his international career early.[d][25][24] Webber's season was put on a race-by-race basis and he received offers fromRenault andJackie Stewart.[31] He also finished third in theMasters of Formula 3 and fourth in theMacau Grand Prix for ADR.[e][32]
Sports car racing and International Formula 3000 (1998–2001)
InJune 1998, Webber entered his first24 Hours of Le Mans having pre-qualified due to Schneider's1997 FIA GT Championship win. He, Ludwig and Schnieder retired their Le Mans-specific CLK-LM car after 75 minutes due to a steering pump fault causing an engine failure.[36] Late in the year, Campese Management managed Webber until Neal resumed her professional relationship with Webber; she suggested that Webber enter theInternational Formula 3000 (IF3000) in1999 pending funding. Webber entered the1999 24 Hours of Le Mans after theFédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) abolished the FIA GT Championship GT1 category due to a lack of manufacturer entries for1999.[37] Sharing the No. 4Mercedes-Benz CLR withJean-Marc Gounon andMarcel Tiemann,[38] a car aerodynamic fault caused Webber to go airborne in qualifying between Mulsanne Corner and Indianapolis corner and on theMulsanne Straight in race-day warm up, forcing his withdrawal from the race.[g][18]
Webber's relationship with Mercedes-Benz cooled following Le Mans because he felt they were unworried about him. He rejected Haug's offer to compete in American open-wheel racing.Greg Moore's death in an accident in California in October 1999 prompted Webber to focus on European single-seater racing. His Mercedes-Benz contract was terminated around November following negotiations. Airline magnatePaul Stoddart, through talks withJordan Grand Prix team ownerEddie Jordan, offered to underwrite $1.1 million for Webber to combine F3000 and plannedFormula One (F1) testing. Webber signed to drive aLola-Ford Zytek car for the Arrows F3000 team in the2000 IF3000 Championship,[39] finishing third in the Drivers' Championship with 21 points, winning atSilverstone, achieving two podium results and retiring four times.[18][40]
For2001, he moved to theBenetton Formula-affiliated, reigning teams' championsSuper Nova Racing, replacingNicolas Minassian.[41][42] Webber, the title favourite,[43] tended to overestimate the Lola car's grip whilst combining F3000 racing with regular access to F1 vehicles for testing.[27] Webber won atImola,Monaco andMagny-Cours and was second at theNürburgring. Four consecutive retirements in the final four rounds prevented him from winning the championship,[41] and he scored 39 points, finishing runner-up toJustin Wilson.[28]
Webber made his F1 test debut with theArrows team in a two-day session organised by Stoddart at theCircuit de Catalunya in December 1999.[44] Plans to drive theArrows A21 car at Silverstone in July 2000 was cancelled,[45] when he and Stoddart rejected a binding contract for2001 from team ownerTom Walkinshaw. Webber received a three-day evaluation test atEstoril two months later following talks with Benetton.[46] After that, Webber and his legal team agreed terms with Benetton team ownerFlavio Briatore to be Benetton's test and reserve driver.[46] He developed the car for racersJenson Button andGiancarlo Fisichella for 2001 and would replace one of them if they got ill or injured.[47] Webber tested frequently for Benetton and helped to improve the team's performance for the season's end.[48] He joined Briatore's managerial stable in May 2001 on a ten-year contract when Neal said that she wanted to step back from driver management.[46]
Ron Walker and telecommunications companyTelstra successfully lobbied for Webber to replaceFernando Alonso at Minardi for the first three races of the2002 season. Webber'sMinardi PS02-Asiatech car was underdeveloped and he was barely able to fit inside it due to his height.[49] He hoped to become experienced enough to make progress in F1.[50] He qualified 18th for the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix and finished fifth following a plethora of first-lap retirements in his debut race.[51] Stoddart consequently retained Webber for the rest of the season.[52][53] At theSpanish Grand Prix four races later, Webber and his teammateAlex Yoong were withdrawn from the race due to three wing failures during practice. He outperformed Yoong and the latter's two-race replacementAnthony Davidson since he was the only Minardi driver usingpower steering due to budgetary constraints.[54] Webber frequently beat the Arrows andToyota teams,[55] and his best result for the rest of the season was eighth at theFrench Grand Prix.[56] Webber was 16th overall with two points.[28]
In 2002, Webber's management were concerned about Minardi's financial situation. They arranged a test session and evaluation in the more powerfulJaguar R3 in mid-2002.[57] Toyota and Jaguar were interested in Webber,[58] but he joined Jaguar in November 2002,[59] replacing the ageingEddie Irvine.[55] Webber was underprepared as hisJaguar R4 car had a highly unreliableCosworth V10 engine and rapidly wearing rear tyres.[53][60] At the2003 season's third round, theBrazilian Grand Prix, he qualified a season-high third but crashed after losinggrip driving through water to cool his tyres late in the rain-affected race. Webber scored points seven times in 2003 with his best result being three sixth-places for 10th in the Drivers' Championship with 17 points.[61][62] Webber crashed less frequently than he had done in F3000,[61] and his qualifying and race pace saw him outperform bothAntônio Pizzonia and Wilson. He was touted as a future star despite poor reliability and a weak car package.[63][64]
Webber was offered a five-year extension to his contract but signed a two-year extension instead.[h][66][62] During the2004 season, Webber contributed to theJaguar R5's technical development and was consistent year-round, extracting extra car performance and regularly outperforming hisRed Bull-backed teammateChristian Klien.[67] He drove the underperforming and unreliable R5 vehicle causing him to retire from 8 out of 18 races. However, Webber scored points four times with a season-high start of second at theMalaysian Grand Prix and a best finish of sixth at theEuropean Grand Prix.[53][68] He placed 13th overall with 7 points.[28]
Frank Williams, theWilliams team owner, was interested in Webber and he and Neal thought driving for the team would advance his career.[i][69] Webber activated a performance clause that released him from Jaguar if an improved offer came along.[70] Williams releasedSauber driver Fisichella from his contract with the team and Webber was signed by Williams to replace Fisichella for2005.[j][70][72] He was granted an early release from Jaguar following the season-endingBrazilian Grand Prix so he could test for Williams,[73] and prepared for the season by doing fitness training with cyclistLance Armstrong at a training camp in Texas.[74]
Webber replaced theToyota-boundRalf Schumacher at Williams, and was joined byNick Heidfeld for most of the season and Pizzonia for the final five races following injury to Heidfeld.[75] TheWilliams FW27 car was aerodynamically poor due to incorrectly calibratedwind tunnels,[76] lacked race speed and was poor starting, seeing him lose positions after qualifying well.[77][78] In a pre-season test session in mid-February, he sustained a broken left-side rib and damaged rib cartilage when he did not exercise correctly prior to driving. In the first two races of the season he competed on painkillers prescribed to him by FIA medical directorGary Hartstein to manage the pain from these injuries.[79][80] Webber finished third inMonaco for his first F1 podium finish and tallied points in ten races in 2005. His best start was second inSpain and qualified within the top five in the first seven rounds. Webber was involved in five race collisions and burnt his right hip inFrance due to heat generated by a failed external electronics box penetrating his car's cockpit.[81] He was 10th in the Drivers' Championship with 36 points,[21] admitting that his reputation faltered.[28] Webber out-qualified Heidfeld nine times, beat him six times and out-qualifying Pizzonia five times that season.[75]
Although Frank Williams and technical directorPatrick Head made Webber aware of his poor performance, Webber remained at Williams for2006 since no other driver wanted to drive for the team. He became distant from Williams and disliked its management because he expected to feel comfortable there;[81] he stayed with the team because he felt "there was something left" and was loyal to Williams,[82] and rejected an offer to join the BMW Sauber team.[78] Webber's teammate that year wasGP2 Series championNico Rosberg. HisFW28 car ranBridgestone tyres and a CosworthV8 engine after BMW ended its partnership with Williams and purchased the Sauber team.[81] His unreliable, under-powered car retired inside the top three in bothAustralia andMonaco early in 2006.[83] Webber was 14th overall tallying 7 points;[28] his best results were two sixth places inBahrain andSan Marino.[81]
Webber did not re-sign with Williams after he was offered less money for a two-year contract.[84] Webber became disillusioned with F1 because their press relations would not let competitors speak freely to the press. Briatore directed Webber to theRed Bull Racing team; they became interested in the team after they purchased Jaguar in late 2004 and signed world championship-winning technical director Adrian Newey to design theRB3-Renault car.[85] His switch from Williams to Red Bull was confirmed in August 2006, replacing Klien and partnering the experiencedDavid Coulthard.[86] His move to Red Bull had been surprising as it was formed to promote young drivers and the drinks company.[82]
Before the season, Webber enquired about Red Bull adviser and junior formula team ownerHelmut Marko for his treatment of young drivers and was told by team principalChristian Horner to obey Marko to avoid conflict.[85] The RB3 proved to be a quick but unreliable car, causing Webber to retire seven times during the season. He scored his first points of 2007 when he finished seventh in theUnited States and took his second career podium finish with a third-place finish at theEuropean Grand Prix three races later. Webber scored once more that year with another seventh place at theBelgian Grand Prix. He was on course to finish well at the rain-affectedJapanese Grand Prix untilToro Rosso'sSebastian Vettel crashed into the rear of his car behind thesafety car, eliminating both drivers from the race. Webber tallied 10 points for 12th overall and beat his teammate Coulthard 15 times in qualifying.[87]
Webber remained at Red Bull for the2008 season and was again joined by Coulthard, driving a more reliableRB4 car equipped with a new reliable gearbox and a heavier front.[88] Webber frequently qualified well and scored points at nine of the season's 18 rounds. He occasionally outperformed drivers with better machinery and he scored points in six of the first eight races, which included a season-high fourth at theMonaco Grand Prix. He qualified a season-high second for theBritish Grand Prix but finished tenth in the wet-weather race.[89] Thereafter, Webber's performance for the remainder of the season diminished mainly because Red Bull opted to sacrifice speed so it could focus on constructing a new car to comply with the regulation changes being applied for the2009 championship.[90] He scored points three more times in the final nine races for 21 points and 11th in the Drivers' Championship.[89]
Because of Red Bull's performance, Webber remained at the team for 2009.[91]Webber sustained multiple injuries in a head-on collision with a car at a charity endurance cycling event inPort Arthur, Tasmania in November 2008, including a fractured right leg. He skipped a three-day pre-season test session held at theJerez circuit,[92][93] but was able to regain enough fitness to drive in an F1 car at the 2009 pre-season test sessions at Jerez and Barcelona,[94] due to the late launch of theRB5 car.[95][k] Webber underwent surgery between events to avoid contracting infections.[96]
Vettel, who was promoted from Toro Rosso to replace the retiring Coulthard, became Webber's teammate.[97] Webber consistently scored points in seven of the first eight races, including three podium finishes to briefly become a championship contender.[28][98] His performances improved when the new RB5 car's double diffuser was introduced.[27] At theGerman Grand Prix, Webber overcame a drive-through penalty he incurred for a first-lap collision withRubens Barrichello'sBrawn GP car to achieve his first career victory (the first win of anAustralian driver since the1981 Caesars Palace Grand Prix withAlan Jones) from his maiden pole position.[l][99] Webber was informed by Red Bull that he and Vettel could race each other "for the foreseeable future" even when trying to reduce Button's points lead.[101] He moved to second overall after finishing third inHungary but fell to fourth due to driver, team and reliability errors in the next four races.[102][103] At the season's penultimate round, theBrazilian Grand Prix, Webber took his second career victory and held off Button to finish second at the season's final race inAbu Dhabi for fourth overall and 69.5 points.[102]
Webber and Red Bull negotiated a contract extension to the2010 championship to reward his performance in 2009.[104][105][106] HisRB6 car was designed to channel engine exhaust gases through a bodywork slot to thediffuser's central area for more downforce and cornering speed. A knee injury sustained while biking forced Webber to delay his preparation because a surgeon conducted a full knee incision.[107] Inactivity during surgery increased Webber's weight to 80 kg (180 lb); a strict diet kept his weight at 75 kg (165 lb).[108] Upon his return to racing, he led the Drivers' Championship at various points during the season, achieving four Grand Prix victories and three pole positions.[m] An accident with Rosberg at theKorean Grand Prix and a second-place finish at the followingBrazilian Grand Prix put Webber eight points behind Alonso and seven ahead of Vettel entering the season-endingAbu Dhabi Grand Prix.[106] Webber needed to win the race and for Alonso to place third or lower to secure the championship.[110] He was eighth in the race, which Vettel won and Alonso came seventh. Webber was third overall with 242 points.[111] After the season, Webber was angry with Red Bull's management, thinking they devalued his achievements that year.[112] He collided with Vettel in a duel for the lead at theTurkish Grand Prix, which cooled his relationship with Marko who blamed Webber for the accident and favoured Vettel, something Webber felt again after Vettel received a new front wing intended for Webber at theBritish Grand Prix.[113]
He signed a Red Bull contract extension for the2011 season before the2010 Canadian Grand Prix,[n][113] having agreed with the team to sign one-year contracts late in his career for ability and quality assessment.[115][116] Webber's mental state worsened because he was ready to retire after a title win to stop all negativity related to his racing career.[117] HisRB7 car equipped with thekinetic energy recovery system (KERS) anddrag reduction system devices and an exhaust-blown diffuser produced lots of rear grip.[117][118] Webber was hindered by intermittent KERS failures that Red Bull rectified and he was frustrated with the quickly degradingPirelli tyres losing their performance when a driver was in the aerodynamic turbulence of another car.[117][119] He made slower starts due to the car's ballast distribution compromised by the KERS' additional weight exacerbated by him weighing 11 kg (24 lb) more than Vettel.[o][120]
Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull's owner, directed the team to allow both Webber and Vettel to race each other.[121] Webber came no lower than fifth in the first four races, finishing third and second inChina andTurkey. He finished theSpanish Grand Prix fourth from pole position. Webber took consecutive pole positions at theBritish andGerman Grands Prix and seven podiums from eleven top-tens in the next 13 events.[122] He won the season-endingBrazilian Grand Prix to take third overall from Alonso with a career-high 258 points.[117][123] Webber initially struggled with the new Pirelli tyres, producing a greater amount of lateral load than his teammate Vettel and was more aggressive accelerating. His qualifying and race performances improved once he became better acquainted with the tyres.[124][125] Webber made fewer pit stops by copying strategies used by other drivers after previously stopping more often from racing competitively.[119]
Webber signed to remained at Red Bull for the2012 season on the day of theHungarian Grand Prix.[126][127] Webber's decision to re-sign was made more difficult in mid-2011 because of his poor qualifying performance on Pirelli tyres but noted the potential of Newey's car designs.[126] TheRB8 car was not as dominant as its two predecessors;[128] Webber finished fourth in the first four races, hampered by minor mechanical problems and faulty KERS. He became frustrated with F1 racing after a poor performance at theSpanish Grand Prix but he won theMonaco Grand Prix from pole position and theBritish Grand Prix three races later after passing Alonso with eight laps left to go second overall behind Alonso.[129] Webber took two more podium finishes inKorea andIndia during the season's final 11 races,[129] finishing 2012 sixth overall tallying 179 points.[28]
Webber testing his car during pre-season testing in Spain
Webber remained at Red Bull for the2013 championship: he wanted to honour an earlier promise he had made to Horner and Mateschitz to stay at the team until his F1 career was over.[130] He rejected an offer from Ferrari team principalStefano Domenicali to partner Alonso and replaceFelipe Massa for a year with a second optional, feeling switching teams would be inappropriate.[129] He briefly lightened his training over the pre-season period when a titanium rod in his right leg was removed in December 2012. After restarting training that month, Webber decided to retire from F1 after 2013 because he wanted to spend more time with his family, demotivation with F1 since drivers could not criticise Pirelli's tyres for fear of possibly upsetting others and the politics when large sums of money were involved.[131][132] Webber was assignedSimon Rennie as hisrace engineer when his previous engineer,Ciaron Pilbeam, became theLotus team's chief race engineer.[p][133]
HisRB9 car initially struggled possibly due to its aerodynamic profile on the new softer Pirelli compounds but performed better when the 2012 compounds were re-introduced mid-season.[q] At theMalaysian Grand Prix, the season's second round,[135] Webber was overtaken by Vettel in the closing laps to win the race after Vettel ignored theteam order "Multi-Map 21", which instructed him to finish behind Webber.[136] Tension between both drivers rose as a result and a remark by Webber about Vettel making an independent decision to disobey team orders meant Vettel lost Webber's respect as a person. After that, Webber was aware that the rest of the season would be onerous and tension between him and Vettel would stress Red Bull. He took eight podium finishes, finishing second four more times at theBritish Grand Prix, theJapanese Grand Prix, theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole position and the season-endingBrazilian Grand Prix.[135] Webber won no races in 2013 and he concluded his final F1 season in third overall with 199 points.[28]
Return to endurance racing with Porsche (2014–2016)
Although sports car racing was less physically demanding for Webber, he needed consistently high concentration to cope with the difference in speed between each of the WEC's four classes, driving at night, re-adjusting to lapping slower vehicles while losing the least amount of time and coping with changeable conditions during a long race.[s][137][138] Webber was advised on modern sports car racing by Bernhard and in turn acquainted Bernhard and Hartley with the circuits he drove in F1. He was mindful on developing the car for his co-drivers and not for himself but directed Porsche to concentrate on research and development projects that optimised performance in the shortest possible time.[139] Webber also helped the team reduce the amount of pit stop time.[140]
Porsche retained Webber for the2015 season alongside Bernhard and Hartley in the renumbered No. 17 car.[35][144] Webber and Hartley qualified the car on pole position for the season-opening6 Hours of Silverstone but Webber had to retire it with drivetrain failure.[145] He was on pole position at the following6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and finished third after Hartley incurred a stop-and-go penalty for rejoining the track via an escape road.[146] He qualified and finished second at the24 Hours of Le Mans.[35][147] before claiming four consecutive victories to enter the season-ending6 Hours of Bahrain leadingAudi'sMarcel Fässler,André Lotterer andBenoît Tréluyer by 12 points.[148] Webber and his teammates needed to finish third to win the WEDC.[149] They qualified on pole position and overcame mechanical problems to finish fifth and claim the title with 166 points, five ahead of Fässler, Lotterer and Tréluyer.[150]
Webber again remained at Porsche alongside Bernhard and Hartley in the renumbered No. 1 entry for the2016 championship.[35][151] The crew retired from the season-opening6 Hours of Silverstone following a collision between Hartley and a slower Porsche GT car.[152] At the following6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, two tyre punctures and a front axle gearbox problem left him 27th overall.[153] Webber began from second at the24 Hours of Le Mans and finished 13th overall due to a water pump failure that needed fixing when Webber was driving.[154] The rest of the season saw the crew win four of the next six races and qualify on pole position once for fourth in the WEDC with 134.5 points.[28][35]
Webber decided to retire from motor racing after the season was over.[155] He kept the news secret until going to Japan, citing Porsche's dwindling desire to commit fully to its LMP1 programme and the difficulty of doing "this job half-hearted" with regards of getting motivated to do test sessions and races as reasons.[156][157]
In describing Webber's driving style, journalistMark Hughes stated: "The thing he does arguably better than anyone else, is extract every ounce of potential from the car through fast, aerodynamically-loaded corners" since extra lap time could be located in slower turns because the car remains in them for longer.[160] He was able to feel the braking grip of his tyres and could correctly modulate throttle power as grip levels reduced under braking to slow the vehicle down. Entering a braking zone, Webber achieved more retardation rate in a downforce-reliant car than other drivers and as the downforce decreased he was able to modulate pressure and sensitivity well to remain within the tyre's grip limit.[160] His braking pressure force enabled him to translate lap time where the entry speed is high enough to make this possible without brake locking.[95] His driving style, which was refined in downforce-heavy sports cars in the late 1990s, was not suited to a more gentle approach required for driving V8 F1 Pirelli-shod cars because of how he managed those brand of tyres that wore out faster than the Bridgestone compounds he was accustomed to.[161]
Webber is a brand ambassador of the luxury fashion houseHugo Boss, the car brand Porsche,[162] the watch manufacturerRolex,[20] the synthetic engine oil brandMobil 1,[163] the airline carrierQantas,[164] and the spinal cord injury research charity Wings for Life.[165] In July 2003, he helped to launch that year's Road Safety Handbook aiming to give road safety guides for residents ofMilton Keynes.[166] As a result of his endorsement money and salary, he was included in Australia's Top 50 Sports Earners and the BRW Young Rich lists byBRW magazine.[167][168] From 2009 to 2013, Webber and Horner co-owned theMW Arden junior team that ran in the European-basedGP3 Series.[169] He launched the off-road sports clothing brand Aussie Grit for mountain riding and running in 2018,[170] and fronted Porsche and Boss' clothing collections for 2019 and 2020.[162]
In 2003, Webber began the ten-day 1,000 km (620 mi) adventure challenge trek Mark Webber Challenge featuring cross-country running, cycling and kayaking inTasmania to raise money for children's cancer charities.[171][172] He organised it following his grandfather's death from cancer as well as his experiences of friends whose children had cancer.[173] Webber held the challenge again from 2006 to 2008 but not in 2009 and 2010 due to economical problems.[174] He again held the event with corporate and local government sponsorship from 2011 to 2013.[175] Inspire Young People and Webber created the Mark Webber Youth Challenge in 2014 involving college student teams raising money for charity participating in physical activities.[176] He was patron of theAmy Gillett Foundation promoting safer on-road relationships between cyclists and motorists,[177] and of the Aylesbury College Trust.[178] Webber won the F1 pro-am tennis tournament in Barcelona three times.[179] He supported the use of the AI-operated prostate cancer diagnosis device Maxwell Plus in Queanbeyan in November 2021 following a reduction in testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.[180] Webber became an ambassador of the Amber Foundation youth homeless charity in March 2023.[181]
Webber has written columns forAutosport,[182] theBBC,[130] andThe Sydney Daily Telegraph.[183] He has provided expert analysis on F1 for the British television broadcasterChannel 4 since the2016 season.[179][184] Webber has done a similar role for Australia'sChannel 10, covering the Australian Grand Prix and co-hosting the2015 Clipsal 500 of theV8 Supercars Championship for the broadcaster.[185][186] He was guest reporter for two rounds of the2017 World Rally Championship onRed Bull TV.[187] Since early 2020, Webber has mentored racing driverOscar Piastri and represents his commercial interests through the management arm JAM Sports Management he founded with his wife, and corporate and sports CEO Jason Allen.[188] He authored the book,Up Front – 2010, A Season To Remember, in 2010.[109] Webber's autobiography,Aussie Grit: My Formula One Journey, ghost written by Stuart Sykes, was published in 2015.[189] Webber owned a public house, The Stag, inMentmore.[96] He joined documentary makers Noah Media Group as a producer and an investor in November 2021.[190][191]
Webber is nicknamed "Aussie Grit" for "his determination in the face of adversity and his patriotism."[96] Bruce Jones described Webber in the bookThe Story of Formula One: 65 Years of Life in the Fast Lane as having earned "considerable admiration for his straight-talking, honest approach that was devoid of pretence or hyperbole. He is an out-and-out racer cast from something of an old-fashioned mould and as such often seemed an adult in an increasingly infantile world."[33]BBC Sport's Andrew Benson wrote that Webber's "combination of race-winning pace and forthright manner has made him a central figure in F1 over the last decade" and that Webber had "remained true to himself. He is unimpressed with the trappings of F1 and its supposed glamour. And his willingness to follow his own mind is intact."[6]
In October 2003, Webber was unanimously voted fourth director of the trade unionGrand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA).[192] He was voted out of it in September 2005 since it felt there were too many directors in charge.[193] Webber was voted back in the GPDA as a director in September 2006,[194] resigning in March 2010.[195] He won theBRDC Bruce McLaren Award in 1998, 2000, 2001,[196] 2009,[197] and 2010 as "the Commonwealth driver who has established the most meritorious performances in international motor racing."[198] In October 2000, he received theAustralian Sports Medal for placing second in the 1998 FIA GT Championship and participating in the IF3000 Championship;[199] was voted "Rookie of the Year" by both readers ofF1 Racing andAutosport magazines; named "F1 Newcomer of the Year" at the annual Grand Prix Party Awards;[32] was namedAutocar's magazine; 2003 F1 Driver of the Year;[200] won theLorenzo Bandini Trophy in 2006;[201] and the 2009Innes Ireland Trophy for displaying "courage and sportsmanship" that Innes Ireland epitomised.[197]
‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed by the winner. † Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
^The petrol station was setup by Webber's grandmother.[3]
^During the season, Webber worked with a team of three mechanics (including himself) who were not well acquainted with Formula Ford.[16]
^Webber earned extra capital working as a driving instructor at various race tracks across the United Kingdom.[23]
^The money lent to Webber by Campese was repaid by the former.[11]
^Mercedes-Benz paid for Webber to compete in both races.[4]
^A lack of financing at the time prevented Webber from enteringFormula 3000.[33]
^He received minor injuries in both accidents.[12]
^Enquires fromFerrari andMcLaren ceased after Webber signed the contract extension.[65]
^In mid-2004, McLaren team principalRon Dennis spoke to Webber about a position at his team but declined when Webber's managerFlavio Briatore was barred from negotiations.[4]
^Williams selected Webber to drive for their team because of his approach to driving. Webber frequently visited the Williams factory inGrove, Oxfordshire to contribute to fixing multiple issues in making their vehicle quicker and more reliable.[71]
^Webber also sustained a broken shoulder and open compound fractures to both the fibula and tibia.[92][93]
^By winning on his 130th Grand Prix start, he set the record for the highest number of career race starts before his first win.[99]Sergio Pérez is the current holder of the record; he won the2020 Sakhir Grand Prix on his 190th race start.[100]
^He used painkillers to finish the season after sustaining a minor right shoulder injury in a mountain bike accident before theJapanese Grand Prix. The injury was kept concealed from Horner; only Webber's physiotherapist and Harstein were made aware of it.[109]
^Webber was linked by the motorsport press to replaceFelipe Massa at Ferrari for the 2011 season.[114]
^Other factors included the moving of Red Bull's engineer who headed their starts performance group, a change in car clutch and a modified starting procedure. All three issues were corrected in the season's second half.[120]
^Before the 2013 season started, Red Bull advisorHelmut Marko suggested in an interview with Red Bull's in-house magazineThe Red Bulletin that Webber could win on average two Grands Prix per season but be inconsistent all year. Marko also said Webber was unable to recover his form when his performance was sub-par.[128] The comments prompted Webber to tell team principalChristian Horner that Marko waspersona non grata.[129]
^Reports circulated in the paddock that Webber was denied access to a rumoured legal form oftraction control technology on his car for cost reasons.[134]
^Webber told Horner and Matechschiz he would join Porsche, and he made the news public at theBritish Grand Prix. Ann Neal and his lawyer reviewed Webber's Red Bull contract and it stated he had to inform Red Bull if he was joining another F1 team but not if he wanted to leave the sport.[131]
^Webber would also have to deal with car imperfections, spending less time in the car because he shared it with two differently built drivers and sharing information in team meetings.[138]
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