Mark Webber To Join Porsche’s LMP1 Efforts

Mark Webber has announced his plans to leave Red Bull Racing, and Formula 1 as a whole, at the conclusion of this season. Next year, he’ll be driving for Porsche, spearheading its efforts to return to the top flights of endurance racing in the World Endurance Championships LMP1 class.

 

The Australian, known for his forthrightness with the media, his competitiveness, and his tendency to flip cars end over end on an alarmingly regular basis, has reached an age that he says is “long in the tooth in some people’s eyes,” according to a BBC Sport article.

 

At 37, and with new regulations set to take effect in 2014, the time to jump to WEC apparently seemed right. There’s also the issue of Webber’s rocky time with Red Bull. He’s complained of a lack of support from the team, and has publicly feuded with teammate Sebastien Vettel, most notably in the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix, when the German ignored team orders and passed Webber for the victory.

 

Webber is leaving F1 with a record of nine victories, all of which came with Red Bull. He also competed for Williams, Jaguar, and Minardi, although his successes with those teams were limited.

 

Now, unofficially, this could mean the start of F1’s beloved Silly Season, where speculation runs rampant as teams look to shuffle or lock in their current lineup. Who will replace Webber at Red Bull? The gossip is leaning towards Winding Road favorite Kimi Raikkonen joining Vettel at Red Bull, along with smaller grumbles of promotion for either of Scuderia Toro Rosso’s drivers. Who would you like to see at Red Bull Racing next season?