Former F1 driver Mark Webber to retire from motor racing at the end of 2016

Former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber will retire from motor racing at the end of the 2016 World Endurance Championship season, it was announced today.

The Australian driver has been competing in WEC for the Porsche LMP1 squad since he left the Red Bull F1 team at the end of the 2013 season.

Webber is in his third season racing for Porsche and won the overall WEC title alongside his co-drivers Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley in 2015. His last race will be the Bahrain Six Hours, which will end the 2016 WEC season next month.

Speaking when the news was announced, Webber, who will continue to work for Porsche as a consultant, described his switch from F1 to LMP1 racing was a “big change” but felt he made the right choice to switch disciplines.

"It was a big change from Formula 1 to LMP1 and an entirely new experience,” he said. “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 but for now I will thoroughly enjoy every moment of the remaining races."

"I have arrived where I belong, Porsche is the brand I always loved most and the one that suits me the best. The 911 is iconic – it has got elegance, performance and understatement, and is never intrusive. It is just the right car for every scenario.

“I will miss the sheer speed, downforce and competition, but I want to leave on a high and I’m very much looking forward to my new tasks."

Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Dr. Ing h.c. F. Porsche AG, paid tribute to Webber’s performances with the Stuttgart-based marque.

He said: "Mark Webber stands for everything what Porsche implies: sportsmanship, power of endurance, straightforwardness and focused work for success. He is full of beans and always a thoughtful listener.

“I want to thank Mark for his great performance in the World Endurance Championship and am pleased he will remain tightly connected to Porsche in the future.”

Webber took part in 215 F1 races between 2002 and 2013 and raced for Minardi, Jaguar, Williams and Red Bull during his time in the championship.

He scored nine Grand Prix victories – including two wins at Monaco – and 13 pole positions, as well as 42 podiums and 19 fastest laps.

Since joining WEC, the 40-year-old has scored seven LMP1 wins and is currently on a three-race winning steak alongside Bernhard and Hartley. The defending champions are currently fourth in the 2016 drivers’ standings, 51.5 points behind their teammates Marc Lieb, Neel Jani and Romain Dumas, who lead the championship in the other Porsche car.

A victory at the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours race, where he drove for Mercedes in 1998 before his F1 career began, eluded Webber, with his best result at Le Circuit de la Sarthe the second place he scored in 2015 – a race that was won by Force India F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg.

This year, Webber has featured on Channel 4’s F1 TV coverage in the UK as part of the broadcaster’s wider presenting team.