Webber encourages young drivers to avoid V8's!

[buza]

Webber revs up young wannabes
By Guy Hand
March 7, 2005

MARK Webber has urged young Australian racers to test themselves overseas and take heart from the example of the their compatriots breaking through in numbers in world motorsports.

The latest is V8 Supercar champion Marcos Ambrose, who will attempt to break into NASCAR racing in the US next year.

Webber remains the highest-profile Australian race driver abroad, finishing a creditable fifth in the season opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix yesterday.

But Australia also has Queenslander Chris Atkinson in the World Rally Championship, Sydneysider Ryan Briscoe driving in North America's premier open-wheel category, and several motorcycle riders in Moto GP and world superbikes.

Would-be top-line race drivers should test themselves on the world stage instead of immediately going into V8 Supercars, as some younger drivers have done in recent years, Webber said.

Most of V8 racing's premier drivers cut their teeth in Europe before returning to touring car racing, including Ambrose, Steven Richards and Russell Ingall.

"Sometimes I get a bit frustrated that the guys have the carrot of the V8s in front of them very early and they don't want to go to Europe," Webber said.

"They just see the comfort zone of racing touring cars here and they don't go any further.

"They should ignore the touring cars for longer and go to Europe."

Webber said he was proud to see other Australians perform well in overseas motor sports categories.

"No question about it we've got the talent down here – we've got the people to do the job," Webber said.

"You've got to earn your respect in Europe.

"Will Power's doing that (driving open-wheelers in Europe).

"He's trying over there and he's working hard.

"We've got Chris Atkinson doing well in the rally cars, Mick Doohan killed them on the bikes, we've got sprint car drivers doing well, Jason Crump on dirt bikes.

"Of course we can do it. Motor racing in Australia is a passion of ours and I love watching Australians doing well in other motor sport categories.

"If we've got people in those categories, it's only going to help youngsters to have a dream and have the passion to come through."

AAP

[twig]

It is up for the other drivers to choose whether they want to be conservative and comfortable in going with the 'easy' and safe option.

But i agree with him, even though i and many others would not be able to predict how well Richards, Lowndes and co would have done had they not have been in the V8s to start with.

[carbontub]

Its ok for Webber to go on about our drivers going overseas maybe he would like to fund a few more, thats the main reason most guys get in the comfort zone. A good healthy living and life style can be had here in Australia racing Taxis. Lets face it half the F1 drivers on the grid have still to come up with the bucks to race in F1 today.

[D.R.T.]

I think Mark is saying that young drivers shouldn't drop the dream of racing on the world scene for the v8's. Australia's future world motorsport heroes are going to have to come from somewhere.

Mark would know better than any of us the need for coins when racing overseas.

Its great to hear Mark commenting on the Aus motorsport scene and especially having an opinion regarding the v8's, which is not heard enough in Aus.

[Sol]

Webber's right. If you dream of F1, then don't drive V8s.

Whilst V8 pay well if you are good, it won't get you a drive with Mr. Williams.

Drivers who have done the hard yards in Europe or America - Perkins, Ingall, Ambrose, Lowndes, Bright, etc are better drivers for the experience.

[stmookeyj033]

It's a lot harder to get a ride in V8's now anyway, particularly with reducing grid sizes.

[ale16]

In Brazil we are starting to have in interesting situation now with the Stock Car Series growing and hiring professional drivers as never before. So, you have some young boys turning their minds to touring cars, once is almost impossible to find funds to race single seaters in Europe... The thing is that racing in Europe without the right management or without been part of any driver development program is getting harder and harder every season.

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by twig

It is up for the other drivers to choose whether they want to be conservative and comfortable in going with the 'easy' and safe option.

But i agree with him, even though i and many others would not be able to predict how well Richards, Lowndes and co would have done had they not have been in the V8s to start with.

Since Steven Richards didn't actually do any racing in Europe when he was over there, I'm surprised he's being used as an example.

[Falcadore]

carbontub: do young Australian Footballers tell themselves than playing in the former NSL (A League?) is an acceptable choice or do they risk going to Europe to chase the big bucks to play with the best in the world?

Lets not encourage our young drivers to emulate Americans.

[MHDT]

Did Allan Moffat respond to Webber's comments at all?

IIRC, there was something on Sports Tonight a few nights back that mentioned Webber and Moffat having a verbal clash. Can anyone confirm?

[Chucky]

Steven Richards drove for the factory Nissan team in the BTCC (about '96?) which made him the driver he is today.

[DKGandBH]

I would like to see Webber give a $ start to some up-a-comming Australian drivers.
Or at least an introduction to the right people.

I wonder if he will ever grace the V8's with an endurance drive (like Courtney), assuming that he is even allowed to at this stage.

I am actually surprised that Ford didn't put him in one of their cars when he was driving for Jaguar.

DKGandBH

[mitchie]

Didnt Webber turn down an HRT enduro drive offer in 2000 which came about through his then TWR/Arrows links?

[Ozfords]

Courtney turned down a DJR endurance drive a number of years ago, citing it would not benefit him at all.

Young guys should aim overseas but with financial support not forthcoming and running the risk of being bankrupt or amounting huge debts racing locally seems to be a logical decision.

Can't Webber with his finger sercured in the big dirty F1 pie start some sort Mark Webber Apprentice program? Help a up and coming aussie racer into a euro seat?

[HDTVKSS]

Webber turned down a bathurst drive i think it was with HRT, saying he had nothing to gain but everything to loose if things went bad with the race.

[Chucky]

Originally Posted by Ozfords

Can't Webber with his finger sercured in the big dirty F1 pie start some sort Mark Webber Apprentice program? Help a up and coming aussie racer into a euro seat?

He already is. He's been helping Will Power get a toe in the door all over Europe for the last year or so.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Chucky

Steven Richards drove for the factory Nissan team in the BTCC (about '96?) which made him the driver he is today.

Richards was Test Driver for Nissan in Britain in 1998, and was in the running for the 99 race seat with Matt Neal before Laurant Aiello swooped in.

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by Chucky

Steven Richards drove for the factory Nissan team in the BTCC (about '96?) which made him the driver he is today.

Drove? yes. Raced? No. Test driver only. He was tantilised with the concept of some drives when a third car was built, but in the end they never took three cars to a BTCC round. While he got to play with a whole bunch of Primera STs there was not a race to be had. Disappointing for him but as you say it appears to have been a positive skills development excursion for him.

He certainly didn't do any open wheeler driving. If Richo has evver driven an open wheeler with wings in any country, I can't recall it.

Webber does not hold a very high opinion of the "Supertaxis" as he calls them. Maybe in his late 30's when F1 is behind him, but as David Brabham has proven if have have the ability you can race OS in sports cars into your 40s (the Aston Martin pilot will be 40 this year).

Alan Jones didn't race touring cars much during the 80's, and didn't need to with two seperate recalls to Europe for Arrows and Beatrice-Haas with some Porsche 956 drives here and there as well. Although maybe sportscars might be something Webber baulks at becasue of past experience.

[racer69]

Nissan did run a 3rd works car in 1998, at Rounds 21 & 22 at Brands Hatch. Tiff Needell drove the car, it was for a story on the BBC Top Gear motoring program, celebrating 40 years of the BTCC (1958 - 1998).

[MHDT]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Alan Jones didn't race touring cars much during the 80's, and didn't need to with two seperate recalls to Europe for Arrows and Beatrice-Haas with some Porsche 956 drives here and there as well. Although maybe sportscars might be something Webber baulks at becasue of past experience.

Interesting the mention of Alan Jones; who once said that a Bathurst win would mean more to his children than his F1 title did! AJ was also the only, IIRC, reigning F1 champion to be 'strapped' into a race car during Bathurst (1981).

Insofar as AJ not racing touring cars much in the 1980's, he not only ran in the 1981 JH1000, but also at Bathurst in 1982 and 1984; plus the 1985 ATCC with Colin Bond's Alfa team; then returned in 1988 with Bond in the Sierra; and tried for the next 8 or so years to claim a major Australian touring car title.

It would be fair to say that Alan Jones has a different perspective of Australian touring car racing than Mark Webber does.

[Falcadore]

Considering that the 80's was ten years long (funny that), I'd say racing only three of those years with a full campaign (82, 85 & 89) constitutes, 'not much'. Certainly a fraction of the races he did the following decade.

Actually, 1985 wasn't a full campaign either as he skipped the enduros.

[MHDT]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Considering that the 80's was ten years long (funny that), I'd say racing only three of those years with a full campaign (82, 85 & 89) constitutes, 'not much'. Certainly a fraction of the races he did the following decade.

Actually, 1985 wasn't a full campaign either as he skipped the enduros.

All I'm saying was that AJ wasn't adverse to Australian touring car racing, as opposed to Mark Webber, who's comments form the topic of this thread.

[Chucky]

Steven still came back from Europe a much improved driver compared to when he left.

[Trev Campbell]

Originally Posted by MHDT

All I'm saying was that AJ wasn't adverse to Australian touring car racing, as opposed to Mark Webber, who's comments form the topic of this thread.

MHDT he didn't think much of it in the seventies !!! He was astounded by the lack of interest in open wheelers in Australia and IIRC made derogatory comments about the tim tops at that stage.

Also I think good on Webber, why not encourauge youngsters to shoot for the top of their field.

[mjt57]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

I think Mark is saying that young drivers shouldn't drop the dream of racing on the world scene for the v8's. Australia's future world motorsport heroes are going to have to come from somewhere.

Everything that Webber said was spot on. Open wheeler teams aren't that impressed with sedan racing, given their rather disparate natures. As Eddie Irvine commented, when at Bathurst as a guest commentator a few years back, if you want to get into F1, then don't start your career with touring car class racing. You start in open wheelers, and you stay with them. Develop the experience and skills for that kind of racing. And demonstrate the committment and the focus for the class of racing.

Often, attitude and committment sell you more than what raw talent does.

Let's face it. Touring car racing is for those who don't have the wherewithall (whether financially or by committment) to aspire to higher goals.

As for Alan Jones doing touring car racing, I reckon that was more for the money than anything else.

Or Michael Doohan's comment regarding refusing to go touring car racing when his GP career finishes, which was a no-so-subtle dig at Wayne Gardner.

Anyway, Webber's there now. He's proved that it can be done. He focused on it and he'll do what he cans to succeed at the pinnacle of motorsport. And that says a lot more for him than it does for those that get there purely because of larges bags of cash, and who more or less cruise around, while wrapping themselves up in the glamor that is F1.