Mark Webber closed out his first season in the FIA WEC with Porsche in dramatic fashion, fortunately without serious injury, but has nevertheless relished his 2014 season. On his website, he shares his thoughts on the year, but here are some excerpts to enjoy:
“Looking at Le Mans we never envisaged having a car in the lead; retiring the #20 car with less than four hours to go was a long way to fall but we learnt a tremendous amount as a group. To score five podiums and a win in our first year back was a great achievement. Overall the return has been successful and we can certainly hold our heads high.”
“Looking back at my first year I learnt a lot and I’m now 100% comfortable in my ‘new job’. Having gone through all the ups and downs of our first season, my relationship with Timo and Brendon has got tighter and the team spirit we’ve built up on our car is quite exceptional.”
“The atmosphere in an LMP1 team is the biggest difference as each side of the garage works towards the same goal, which is getting both cars as high up as possible. The communication across both cars is very open and there is a busy exchange between engineers and drivers; it’s great to be working in a proper team environment again.
“Between the manufacturers there is also a healthy level of respect, which is a breath of fresh air in comparison to the F1 pit-lane. When our mechanics managed to get the #14 car back out on track towards the end of the race in Le Mans, the other teams applauded as the car crossed the finish line, which was a real highlight for me. Everyone knows what it’s like to get a car home and how much effort goes into putting this race in particular together. It’s emotional, everyone is tired and it’s a very gruelling event so it was very moving to see such a reaction from a competitor.”
“These cars are very rewarding to drive, no question about it. The speeds are high and consistency is key. Any sportsman or women likes to be challenged when it comes to the consistency department so we have to deliver on that front. As a driver you have to be extremely versatile and adapt to the circumstances, whether that’s driving the car at three in the morning or when plans change and you’re putting in a triple stint.
“The [FIA WEC] series is definitely going in the right direction and a lot of great drivers are seeing the appeal. Already you’ve got the legends like Tom Kristensen who’s now retired and fast drivers like André Lotterer and Loïc Duval. This year Anthony Davidson and Seb Buemi won the World Championship and next year we’ve got current F1 drivers such as Nico Hulkenburg coming to take part in Le Mans – it’s at a very handy level now.”
The full interview can be seen HERE
