The confirmation of Mark Webber at Porsche means the silly season in Formula 1 is now really getting underway. And with two remaining seats at Porsche for the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours, we can of course do the same.
Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas were no-brainers. They raced for Porsche with the LMP2 Porsche RS Spyder, they raced the Audi LMP1 cars and were always destined to be part of the 2014 line-up. Two down, four to go.
This week Porsche confirmed Neel Jani and Mark Webber. One fast driver with LMP1 experience and destined for a top drive and one driver with loads of experience in high-downforce cars as well as previous Le Mans experience.
Unbeknownst to most there is a link between Webber and Jani and it is a link that could be invaluable…it’s Red Bull!
Mark Webber’s link with Red Bull is pretty obvious as he raced for Red Bull Racing since the start of the 2007 season. Red Bull owner Dieter Mateschitz is a fan of Webber and this week Germany’s Autobild reported that Mateschitz wanted to retain the Australian driver for the 2014 season. A rather interesting comment given the, at that point, already signed contract between Webber and Porsche.
Jani was under Red Bull’s wings as well. Back in 2004 Jani tested for the newly formed Red Bull Racing Team and earned himself a place in the Red Bull Junior Team. He then went on to race in Red Bull colours in the GP2 Series, the American Champ Car World Series and was the third and test driver at Scuderia Toro Rosso as well as racing in A1 Grand Prix and the FIA GT1 World Championship with Red Bull support. In 2010 he joined Rebellion Racing, but alongside the LMP program he also continued Red Bull Racing F1 testing, including simulator and aero testing as well as giving demonstration runs in the Red Bull F1 show cars.
A quick glance on Jani’s website shows WWP looks after the interest of the Swiss driver. Other WWP clients in racing are Red Bull, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Volkswagen and….Porsche.
Porsche seems to have completed its full-season line-up with these four drivers and will announce the remaining drivers at a later date. Could they include a certain French driver with Red Bull support and a wish to race at Le Mans in a competitive car? The only thing Red Bull will have to make sure is that PSA will allow him to race a works Porsche and that the FIA WTCC doesn’t race on the Le Mans dates.
Of course we’re just guessing…but Could Red Bull give Porsche the wings it needs to win at Le Mans again?
MtC
