F1’s nearly man could win the FIA World Endurance Championship on Sunday. The Australian talks of his title hopes and his fears for the sport he left behindAs honest and straight-talking in print as he is in person,it is impossible not to feel for Mark Webber’s intestine-wrenching sense of disappointment when, in his book, and he describes how the Formula One world championship slipped from his grasp during 2010’s final race in Abu Dhabi. It was as close as he ever came in F1 but was not the end of his chronicle. Five years on he has another title in his sights and this time is determined to ensure he crosses the line as champion.
In 2014 Webber left F1 and Red Bull to race an LMP1 prototype sports car for Porsche in the highly competitive FIA World Endurance Championship,of which the Le Mans 24 Hours is the centrepiece. The marque had final entered Le Mans in 1998, a race which they won but their return final year was not expected to become so successful, or so quickly. The team took this year’s 24 Hours and Webber,with his team-mates Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, now leads the drivers’ championship. A win here in Shanghai on Sunday and a DNF for their Audi rivals would be enough for the title, and although with Audi’s solid reliability it will likely go down to the final round in Bahrain. Related: Mark Webber and Porsche on Shanghai pole in World Endurance Championship Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com