My call: Mark Webber says he alone will decide when to quit the sport. Photo: Getty Images
While a wager on Mark Webber to win the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday wouldn't be a huge gamble, betting on it being his last appearance at Albert Park is a long shot.
Bookies are divided over Webber's prospects, with some layers regarding him as short as a $6 shot, while others rate his chances as no better than $17.
But while the odds makers may disagree on his chances of winning his first Australian GP at his 12th attempt, one thing Webber is sure of is that he is a short price to be in the field again next year regardless of his performance at Albert Park.
''No, I'm not,'' he said emphatically when asked if he was going into this season thinking or planning that it would be his last as an F1 driver.
Speculation about Webber's future beyond this season has been widespread because, at 36, he is now the oldest driver following last year's second retirement by Michael Schumacher.
Adding to the conjecture, he re-signed with Red Bull Racing for just this year and waiting in the wings to replace him are young compatriot Daniel Ricciardo and the slightly younger Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne, who drive for RBR's junior team Toro Rosso.
There is also the spectre of another season in the shadow of his dominant teammate Sebastian Vettel, who is the early favourite to win his fourth straight world title.
Webber, who obliterated the lap record at Sydney Motorsport Park at the weekend in demonstration runs in an old Red Bull F1 racer, is adamant his F1 future is open.
''It's completely obvious that I'm not at the start of my career any more, but I'm also achieving some very good results,'' said Webber, winner of nine F1 races, including last year's Monaco and British GPs.
''While I continue to do that and while I enjoy my work, I'll continue. Whether I was born in '76 or '86 is irrelevant.''
He added that whether he continued next year or quit would be his decision and that he would be trying as hard as ever to win races.
''It starts and stops with me,'' Webber declared.
''You always have to perform, especially when you're aiming for podiums in this game and it's no different this year. So I'm going to go out and enjoy my racing this year, but still obviously with that steely determination to make sure that we make every opportunity count and continue to do well.''
Webber, who turns 37 in August, was happy with his and Red Bull's form in pre-season testing, and is confident he'll have a good chance of matching Vettel at Albert Park.
''Seb is obviously off the back on an incredible run and he'll absolutely be a contender for the win,'' he said. ''We know that. It's completely obvious with how well he's been driving.
''But there's certainly no reason why I can't put together a very good weekend as well, which is what we've seen with the testing so far. I've been very quick and very comparable, so that's been good. So, yeah, we're in the ballgame.''
With a busy schedule of promotional and media appearances in the next few days, Webber can't wait to get back behind the wheel when the F1 cars hit Melbourne's 5.3-kilometre lakeside street circuit for the first time on Friday.
''I'm just looking forward to getting in the car and doing that bit [driving] rather than all the other stuff [talking about it],'' he said. ''Testing's good, but we just want to get racing now.''
No comments:
Post a Comment