What now for Mark Webber?

[codename_47]

Who'd want to hire a 35 year old driver who can't start to save his life?

Maybe Marussia or Caterham would benefit from his experience but I'm sure Mark enjoys being paid for driving cars and not having to open his wallet to drive an F1 car.

Where now for Webber?

V8 Supercars in all likelyhood.

[deeks6]

I'd say China for the next GP ...

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by codename_47

Who'd want to hire a 35 year old driver who can't start to save his life?

Maybe Marussia or Caterham would benefit from his experience but I'm sure Mark enjoys being paid for driving cars and not having to open his wallet to drive an F1 car.

Where now for Webber?

V8 Supercars in all likelyhood.

Mark Webber has nothing to be ashamed off..

V8 Supercars would be a respectable place to go, what is wrong with racing in any series as long as you are racing and having fun..

[FAS33]

V8 supercars the best series in the world. Real racing unlike F1.
How would he or any F1 Driver handle them without all the driver aids they need, 1st time they jump in the car they'd be wondering what the extra pedals for.

[Scooter185]

I think he'd end up in the WEC before marussia/Caterham or v8sc

Especially since his name has been brought up in the Porsche LMP1 discussions. LMP is pretty much f1 with fenders...

[Swedish Brick]

I'd think sportscars much much more likely than V8s.
Unless he decides he wants to go home and is over flying around the world

[Smurfer]

I kind of wonder whether any F1 driver thinks long and hard about going to another series. The risk being that you don't perform that well and everyone questions your right to be in F1 in the first place - potentially ignoring the possibility you're in an uncompetitive car.

V8 supercars is a totally different beast to F1's. I'm not sure that if you're outstanding at open wheelers you'll be outstanding at v8's and vice versa. That's probably changed a little bit this year with the introduction of independent rear suspension. That's not to say the skill set is completely different, not like nascar oval racing to circuit racing, but quite different.

Anyway, hope the rest of the season goes ok for Mark, coming second in the championship would be a good outcome (although no doubt he would be disappointed).

[GT6]

[QUOTE=codename_47;3226677]Who'd want to hire a 35 year old driver who can't start to save his life?


Not a bad start last race from 5th place, so he can do it

[rich07]

He owns a pub in England, maybe he'll be content to pull pints behind the bar and enjoy a bit of downtime.

Dont really think so.

He wont do V8s, hes repeatedly said that he is not interested in the category, I can see him doing DTM if he does do touring cars at all but I think his best bet after F1 is sportscars most probably with Porsche or some other LMP factory team, Im sure that he'd be a very good asset to any manufacturer effort. Him/Heidfeld/?? in a Porsche LMP1 would be one to watch.

[werner]

He has some unfinisched business in Le Mans...

[p-matt]

It's been clear for ages now that Webber needs Red Bull as much as Red Bull needs him. No one's been completely thrilled about it but both see they have no better option. Even before Malaysia it's clear that this will very soon no longer be the case.

Red Bull could probably snare Kimi for next year. It might have been a risk for this year, but I'm sure they feel as though they could manager a Kimi - Vettel pairing. Even if they don't they should have a pretty decent no 2 driver in Dan, JEV or AFDC.

As for Mark, well he must have known that the odds of him winning the championship decrease significantly the more championships and Vettel wins, the more experience he gets and the more esconced in the team he becomes. That's why if he won in Malaysia it would have been signficant. Instead, Seb's now in the driving seat for the title within Red Bull and I'd be utterly amazed if Mark can claw it back and start outperforming him consistently. Webber then has the choice - does he stay on for 2014 and be remembered in years to come as a Rubens Barrichello type driver, or does he seek a fresh challenge? The Porsche WEC rumours would suggest he was flirting with the idea of the latter anyway, but Malaysia has probably pushed him further in that direction. The other option would be a drive with Lotus perhaps?

[ArnageWRC]

I hope he makes he move to Sportscars - will suit him, less hassle and all of the garbage that goes on in F1.

At least he's always acknowledged other series, and turns up at MotoGP, etc far too many in F1 think it's the be all and end all.

[MarkG]

I have a lot of time for Mark Webber, but if he drives the 2013 season as an obvious number2 I'll be mighty disappointed.
He isn't likely to have options at a top team as No1 or equal No1, and moving to a lower team just doesn't make sense at his age (F1 age), so this must be his last F1 season. He doesn't need the money I'm sure, so he ought to just tell the team he's not interested in team orders and they have the choice of getting rid of him, or knobbling his car. Driving as No2 at Red Bull is surely not an option unless he's meek, and he hasn't appeared meek to me in the past.

[Paradise City]

I see him doing something entirely different. Some of that mountain bike stuff or whatever that is. Mid-range F1 drivers will return to the general motorsport community when they are coughed out of F1 but those that have seen the pinnacle are hard to drag back into the motorsport milieu in a serious way [which is unfortunate]

[BSchneiderFan]

Straight swap with Räikkönen?

[m355y]

I think it's fairly simple really - he'll be gone at the end of the season although I don't think he'll necessarily retire straight away and you're looking at Vergne, Ricciardo or even Buemi in the second Red Bull next season. Buemi probably only if for some reason it happens earlier than next season and they need a quick fix.

Everyone talks about Ricciardo as heir apparent but I'm starting to think Vergne might be asserting himself as the one with the edge. He's got a lot going for him - a brave, feisty racer who is increasingly the Toro Rosso driver who's finishing ahead regardless of being a tenth or two shy in qualifying. And even that weakness is getting better. Mid season 2012 I thought he was a lost cause but he's starting to look like the one with maybe the greater potential IMO.

[Smurfer]

Originally Posted by m355y

I think it's fairly simple really - he'll be gone at the end of the season although I don't think he'll necessarily retire straight away and you're looking at Vergne, Ricciardo or even Buemi in the second Red Bull next season. Buemi probably only if for some reason it happens earlier than next season and they need a quick fix.

Everyone talks about Ricciardo as heir apparent but I'm starting to think Vergne might be asserting himself as the one with the edge. He's got a lot going for him - a brave, feisty racer who is increasingly the Toro Rosso driver who's finishing ahead regardless of being a tenth or two shy in qualifying. And even that weakness is getting better. Mid season 2012 I thought he was a lost cause but he's starting to look like the one with maybe the greater potential IMO.

I agree, Vergne is looking to be a great racer and is narrowing the gap in qualifying (as much as it pains me to say it being an Aussie). Wonder if they might bring in an outsider like Bianchi - probably too early in the piece to determine his ability, but so far so good.

[Bononi]

I don't know why all the fuss about "what now for Mark Webber", life goes on and he'1ll be racing as always, and being a good number two.

[Razzzor]

Think it's a bit early for Da Costa yet. He proved to be very quick last season in Gp3 and WSR, but let's not forget that he'd previously had more than a years experience in Gp3 and still only finished 3rd in points while Mitch won it, who's 3 years younger. But I think he undoubtedly would have won the WSR title if he competed the full season. No one to stop him for 2013 though.

I agree Vergne is the most promising. Ricciardo is good too, but Vergne really got thrown into F1 quite early, he's only going to get better. I wouldn't be surprised if he moves up to RB in 2014 or 2015 if Webber continues another year, which I think he will.

As for Webber being the #2, I think that distinction was made, firstly, in 2011 when Seb completely dominated him winning 11 races to Mark's single race win after Seb drop out of the lead with gearbox issues.

And then if he was going to save himself and get back to even ground, it would have been after winning a couple races last year. And then what happens? Only 2 podiums follow in the next 11 races as Seb wins the title and he comes 5th.

Mark should realise well and truly that he is the #2 driver and I think he needs RB more than they need him. He's still a great driver though, perfect to back Seb up.

I'd be really surprised if Kimi went to RB.

[OZ_HCR32]

Someone else has said it. Nothing has really changed for Webber. If anything things have improved for him. He knows how the team views Vettel and he knows he is in a very strong team. Seb has now shown the world what Webber has not been able to talk about publicly and Webber politically has probably crawled a little back.

His biggest problem is still Vettels pace and ability to string together race win after race win.

He knows in his heart of hearts that Vettel is quicker, but if circumstance helps and he bags a few wins when Vettel has problems...Webber can sneak a look at a WDC.

If he is still racing well and neither STR driver a clear pick over the other? Why not extend?

But I think the fun is running out for Webber and the second half of the 2012 season seemed to lack the commitment/intensity required from Webber. This year he needs to take this angst and fuel himself to the last lap of the last GP.

If he isnt offered a contract I can see Kimi-Vettel being a pretty easy pairing to manage and easily the strongest pairing since Hamo-Alonso. A straight swap to Lotus or even as a replacement to a struggling Perez are possibilities.

Originally Posted by Born Racer

He needs to work out his views on teamwork. Malaysia happens and people jump to Mark's defence. Mark almost stuffs up Seb's race in Brazil a few time and little is mentioned.

The race start was a race start. He didnt move aside for him but he didn't do anything different to other start procedures. More could go wrong by doing something unusual..and with Alonso further back there was no need to do anything over then get off the line and when it was safe too let him get on with the race. Seb being tagged meant that never got the chance to happen on a later lap

The race re-start when he went around the outside... Kobayashi was behind Vettel and Webber behind Kobi. Vettel sseemed to get a poor re-start with Kobi having a dive on the inside and Webber was alongside Kobi and when Kobi dove up the inside Webber stayed wide. He was racing Kobi who dove up the inside of Vettel .

I agree Webber was still out racing for himself with the lottery dip conditions anything was going to be possible...but I think the problems he caused Vettel are overstated.

Silverstone...? Like Herbert recently said, Webber just stuck his nose in there to prove he had the pace and was quicker...he then backed off. The charade was he wanted to show he could have done the job...and the proof was he palyed the game by coming home behind him.

[Knowlesy]

I literally had no recollection of these dangerous moves Webber put on Vettel in Brazil so thanks for the reminder. Quite easy to see why I forgot them.

In any case, Vettel had TGF waving him by all day so not such a problem.