After winning the World Championship last year in the #17 Porsche with Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, Le Mans is the next item on Mark Webber’s sportscar bucket list to tick off. And heading into 2016 with the #1 on the car certainly makes both he and his teammates favourites during the pre-season.
“We’re looking pretty good, I’m looking forward to it,” Webber said in conversation with DSC. “The number 1 doesn’t change anything, the car could be pink and it still wouldn’t, it’s not, pink by the way, but it looks beautiful.
“The number is from hard work last year, and we know that we’ve got to push just as much this time round, especially with the two new cars from Audi and Toyota this year.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge to keep the trophies in Weissach.”
For the Porsche boys, the key is going to be utilising the opportunity to start the season off strong, with the upgraded 919 which they know so well.
“In the short term, reliability and familiarity is our strength,” stressed the Aussie. “There’s a chance they will put pressure on us in terms of speed, but we don’t have a slow car. We’re not concerned about too much yet, but let’s see how the season goes. Le Mans is not far away.
“There’s not one big thing that’s changed. The hybrid is better, the weight is better, the aero is better, the tyre management is better. It’s massaging all the areas. Trying to maximise this concept. There’s no real jump. The lap times are going to be better, but whether that’s enough, we’ll see.
“I think it’s incredible. We have less power and the times will be better, at Le Mans still it will be hard to produce the same lap times though. Take away the new regs, there’s big steps in other areas.”
Le Mans is still that all-elusive race for Webber, who after appearing at the event twice for Mercedes-Benz didn’t drive the car during the race let’s not forget, before driving for Porsche the past two years, unable to reach the top step of the podium.
Despite that, he remains relaxed about conquering the biggest race in sportscars.
“I would love to win Le Mans, but it doesn’t keep me awake at night. I’m not going to try and win this for 10 or 15 years. It’s a big race, it’s great, I’d like to win it with Brendon, Timo and Porsche and I believe we have a good future together. And yes, if it comes, great, but it’s a tricky race to win and requires a lot of luck.
“I’m still racing for the World Championship whatever happens, and that would be nice to grab as well.”
After signing with Channel 4 for this year’s F1 coverage, he remains a key personality in arguably the two most polarising paddocks in global motorsport. Formula One may have a sizeable edge on raw popularity still, but Webber confirms that the WEC is still very much on the up.
“I think the WEC is in a very good spot this season. If we had three cars it would be great, if we had another manufacturer that would be even better. We have Ford in GTE, but we need another factory in LMP1.
“Overall though, we have the excitement and the focus needs to be on the new cars from Audi and Toyota going up against us. It’s going to be interesting to see how that unfolds.
“If you look at motorsport in general, Formula One, rally, all the junior categories, it’s a tough business out there, but that’s the way modern motorsport is now. I still think that the WEC through these tougher times has done an incredible job to keep the manufacturers coming.”
And when discussing life beyond this season, looking towards the big changes in regulations slated to take place in 2018?
“I haven’t looked much further ahead than this season, by 2018 I might be on the beach mate.”
