Red Bull’s Mark Webber has announced that he will leave Formula One racing at the end of this season and join Porsche’s new sportscar programme in the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans 24 Hours.
Webber made his F1 debut in 2002 with Minardi and has been with Red Bull since 2007, winning nine Grands Prix for the reigning world champions. The Australian’s departure means the team must now find a new 2014 partner for Sebastian Vettel.
“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 One. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world.”
Webber, 36, will join former Red Bull development driver Neel Jani at Porsche’s LMP1 team, along with Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas. He is no stranger to sportscar racing, having previously competed for Mercedes in 1998-9.
Paying tribute to Webber's time with Red Bull, team principal Christian Horner commented:“I am sure Mark thought long and hard before making what has no doubt been a very difficult decision. His achievements in Formula One are extensive and I am sure he will continue to push hard and build on that record until the end of the season. We support Mark’s decision, he has been an excellent addition to the team since joining us in 2007 and we wish him all the best in the next stages of his career.”
Rumours of Webber’s F1 departure have been widespread for some time, in particular since March’s Malaysian Grand Prix where Vettel defied Red Bull team orders and passed him for the lead before going on to win the race.
Thursday’s announcement will only heighten speculation about Webber’s replacement. Although reports have repeatedly linked Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen to the seat, Red Bull already have several potential candidates on their books, including racers at sister team Toro Rosso, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne.
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/ ... 14703.html
