Mark Webber has signed a contract with Porsche for “several years” to drive the German carmaker’s new LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports car World Endurance Championship (WEC). The Australian will leave the Infiniti Red Bull Racing at the end of this season.
The 36-year old pilot is no stranger to Le Mans, having raced there twice. He finished runner-up in the FIA GT Championship in 1998 at the wheel of the Mercedes CLK GTR sports prototype. One year later, he was the driver of the Mercedes CLR-GT1 that famously took off during the Le Mans 24 Hours.
In Formula 1, Webber has won nine races and has started from pole position eleven times. He has achieved 36 podium places over the course of his Formula 1 career from 2002 until today.
“It’s an honour for me to join Porsche at its return to the top category in Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and be part of the team,” said Webber. “Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level.”
“I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world,” he added.
Webber will join long-standing Porsche works drivers Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France), as well as ex-F1 test driver Neel Jani (Switzerland).
By Dan Mihalascu
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