Mark Webber: heading to Endurance with Porsche in 2014?
After the events of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Mark Webber is the subject of persistent rumors suggesting that from 2014, he will move to Endurance racing with Porsche. According to *Bild*, the Australian reportedly visited the headquarters of the Stuttgart company's racing division, with which he could sign for 3 seasons in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Since the Malaysian Grand Prix, where he had to yield to the attacks of Sebastian Vettel who did not want to let him win, Mark Webber no longer seems to enjoy peaceful days at Red Bull. Indeed, the Australian, who has a contract until the end of the season, is likely experiencing his last season with the Austrian team, where his succession is already open, with Kimi Räikkönen’s name even being mentioned by Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of the Milton Keynes team.
But the 2013 season could also be the swan song for the Queanbeyan native who, after celebrating his thirty-seventh birthday next August, might be tempted to return to his “first love”: Endurance racing. Radio Le Mans mentioned the signing of a five-season contract with Porsche to compete in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) starting in 2014, marking the great return of the Stuttgart manufacturer to the discipline.
In the magazine Auto Action, Wolfgang Hatz, member of the management committee of Porsche AG, however, denies any contract with the current Red Bull driver: « There is a testing program, and certainly, Mark Webber is not part of it. We might have some Formula 1 drivers in the future, but it’s not necessary. We will call on some of our drivers and hire other drivers: we will have two cars and will need six drivers. [But] we have plenty of time to decide on our crews. What we need is the best and most harmonious combination of drivers. LMP1 is a team sport, and if you field the three fastest drivers, I’m not sure that’s the best thing to do. »
The door remains open, however, and a potential arrival of Mark Webber at Porsche in Endurance racing continues to generate buzz. Thus, as of yesterday, *Bild* claimed that the Australian had visited Porsche’s competition headquarters in Weissach, and that both parties had reached an agreement for a three-season commitment, instead of the five initially mentioned by *Auto Action*. According to the German publication, Mark Webber’s entourage would reportedly be the source of the leaks about his contacts with Porsche, likely to put pressure on Red Bull.
The Australian could thus return to Le Mans, fifteen years after his last participation, which remained memorable since he was the victim of two spectacular lift-offs at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz CLR.
