Webber to lead Porsche at Le Mans in 2014?

Mark Webber’s driving future for 2013 has been well discussed, but this is the first rumour we’ve heard speculating on what the likeable Aussie will be doing in 2014. And speaking without any objectivity at all, we like this one. A lot.

In today’s Herald-Sun veteran journalist Paul Gover said: “If the talk is right—and it sounds solid—Webber will call time on F1 at the end of the 2013 season and slide across to head the Porsche sports car team as it returns to Le Mans.”

Okay, as a fan of motorsport and Mark Webber’s exploits, this rumour excites us. Seeing Mark leading the charge for Porsche at Le Mans: what’s not to like!

So could it happen? The first box to be ticked off is the one saying Porsche will be back at Le Mans in 2014 and chasing for outright victory. They’ll need driving talent and we think Mark would make a good fit.

Firstly, we’ve already seen Mark working with Porsche, albeit in a very informal manner discussing his 911 GT2 RS. But Porsche has already seen fit to use Webber in a marketing role, of sorts.

Certainly, fresh out of F1, Webber would have the profile to lead Porsche. And it would be an ideal post-F1 challenge. You don’t forge a long career in F1 without having huge ambition and a fair bit of talent. Headlining Porsche in the chase for a record 17th Le Mans victory would be suitable challenge, we think.

Perhaps, more importantly for Porsche, is Webber’s ability to offer feedback to engineers during car development and on race weekends. His set up skills are widely acknowledged as some of the best in F1 and you’d expect they could be translated to a Le Mans assault.

And, of course, it would bring Mark’s career full circle, if you’ll pardon the pun. Not long after Porsche won its 16th Le Mans title Webber was busy flipping a Mercedes CLR on the Mulsanne Straight. Mark’s incidents happened in qualifying and in the pre-race warm up. His car was withdrawn and he didn’t actually start the race. In other words, you could say Mark and Le Mans have unfinished business.

So, speaking as a fan once again: Porsche make it so!

[Source: Paul Gover | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images | Thanks to John for the tip]