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2013 Brazilian Grand Prix in pictures

2013 Brazilian Grand Prix

Mark Webber’s Formula 1 career began with an Australian flag on the podium after his stellar debut with Minardi at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix. Twelve years later, after 217 grands prix have eclipsed, it ended in the same fashion at the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Of course, it would have been much better if we were celebrating Mark’s tenth career victory. But it wasn’t to be. Instead we’re left with the memories of what he has achieved and what might have been.

We can’t wait to see Mark join Porsche and breathe new life into the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In the meantime there’s 21 other Formula 1 drivers we have captured below in a gallery of over 130 pictures. Until next year we hope you’ve enjoyed another season of F1 pics.

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

VIDEO: 215 races in less than eight minutes

2010 British Grand Prix

Mark Webber’s Formula 1 career is over and now we can begin to reflect on his achievements. To start with the stats from his 12 years in F1 read:

  • 215 race starts
  • 42 podiums
  • 19 fastest laps
  • 13 pole positions
  • 9 wins

And they’ve been summed up well in 7 minutes and 40 seconds of fan-made video.

[Thanks to Wes for the tip]

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Ferrari Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

2013 Brazilian GP: Post-race press conference

2013 Brazilian Grand Prix

Following Mark Webber’s second place in the Brazilian Grand Prix here’s your last chance to read what the straight shooting Aussie had to say in one of his last official engagements with F1.

Before you do, this is what Daniel Ricciardo had to say before he steps into Webber’s shoes at Red Bull.

“The conditions were very difficult with the occasional drop of rain,” Daniel said. “From the cockpit, it’s actually quite difficult to judge how much rain there is. You see a few drops on your visor, look at the guy in front of you and if he doesn’t go off, you assume it’s dry.

“We were not very quick from the start and I was struggling with cold graining on the front right. We did try and rebalance it during the race, but we struggled in terms of pure pace, so I was quite happy to come away with a point.”

Young Daniel didn’t forget to say goodbye to his friends at Toro Rosso. “At midnight tonight I become an Infiniti Red Bull Racing driver,” he added. “But for now I just want to say thank you to everyone at Scuderia Toro Rosso, here at the track, back in Faenza and at our wind tunnel for two fantastic years. Thanks guys!”

The full transcript of the post-race press conference featuring the first three drivers can be read after the break.

[Pics: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Ferrari Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Sebastian Vettel wins 2013 Brazilian GP

2013 Brazilian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel’s record season has been capped with another victory. It’s his ninth win a row, the first time that’s ever been done in a calendar year, and it’s his thirteenth win of the season, which equals Michael Schumacher’s 2004 season. How crucial does that controversial Malaysian Grand Prix win look now?

Off the line both Red Bulls lost ground. Vettel was swallowed up by Nico Rosberg, although restored his natural order by reclaiming the lead at the start of Lap 2. Webber dropped one position to P5, but his race pace was soon apparent and by Lap 13 he had found a way past both Mercedes AMG drivers and Fernando Alonso to earn himself P2.

Mark lost that position due to an uncharacteristic error from Red Bull during his pit stop. Although with new boots Webber was able to catch and overtake Alonso within a couple of laps. He didn’t really make any inroads into Vettel’s lead until another pit stop drama. Red Bull was waiting for Webber to pit, however—anticipating a Safety Car after an incident between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas—Vettel dived into pit lane for his final set of tyres. He caught the team off-guard and half of his 13 second lead was lost waiting for his tyres.

Although, with Mark soon stacked behind Seabstian the impact to Vettel’s lead was minimised to a degree. As the race drew to a close light rain increased as the skies threatened to open. Late drama was averted when the downpour didn’t eventuate and Vettel won the race by just over 10 seconds.

Perhaps finishing second to Sebastian was a fitting result for Mark in his final F1 race. Mark won nine races in his 215-race career, the same number of wins Vettel has strung together in succession at the back-end of this season.

Webber ensured he left the sport with nothing to hide, by allowing the crowd got to see his emotion after he removed his helmet during his cool down lap.

The 18 points earned by Mark for P2, coupled with a drive-through penalty for Hamilton for causing his incident with Bottas, ensured Webber finished third in the drivers’ championship. While Mark didn’t win a grand prix in 2013, third in the title race equals his best season results from 2010 and 2011.

Webber has certainly made his mark on F1, maybe not as much in terms of net results as he would like, but we can’t ever remember a driver leaving F1 with the overwhelming support and grace Webber has enjoyed from his peers. The admiration of his character appears universal. Even on the podium his fiercest rival, Sebastian Vettel, ensured the post-race interviews defied protocol by starting with Mark in honour of his final F1 appearance.

Fernando Alonso will be happy with P3 after a poor end to the season for Ferrari. Although, it emerged he would have moved aside for teammate Felipe Massa had the Brazilian not been pushed down the field following a drive through penalty for crossing the pit lane entry in race conditions.

McLaren, too, finished a poor season well by seeing Jenson Button and Sergio Perez finish in fourth and sixth respectively. Perez qualified in P14, but started from P19 after a gearbox change, which meant Button started from P14. McLaren will no doubt be hoping to see an improvement in fortunes when F1 enters its turbocharged V6 “power unit” era in 2014.

Lotus ended the year in disappointment when Romain Grosjean’s final race with a normally-aspirated V8 engine behind him was over after just two laps when said engine dropped its guts all over the circuit. Heikki Kovalainen, filling in for Kimi Raikkonen, was unable to make an impact at Sao Paulo and finished in P14.

On the positive side, Daniel Ricciardo ended his season and career with Toro Rosso by claiming the single point offered for P10. We look forward to greater things from Daniel when he moves to Red Bull in 2014.

Another year, another title for Vettel. He and Red Bull have collected four championships on end now. Well done them. Yet, with mixed emotions, considering Daniel’s move to RBR, we do hope to see a different script in 2014.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber’s first and last

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing

In the build up to his 215th and final Formula 1 race Mark Webber has been doing the media rounds. So it’s only fair that his own team got a chance to interview him too.

Red Bull asked Mark to reflect on his first race with Minardi at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix, before concentrating on this morning’s race at Brazil.

Mark is known for his down to earth nature and rarely has that been better illustrated than with this quote:

I would have been very happy growing up and staying in Queanbeyan because I wouldn’t have know any different. But when you start to delve into other areas of life, other places, then it really is a case of ‘wow, this is a ride’. And it was a great ride. You sometimes get more out of that than the actual results.

Read the full interview after the break. And join us as we cross our fingers and wish Mark all the best in his final grand prix, before preparing to give Audi an almighty scare at Le Mans in 2014!

[Pics: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Ferrari Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing

2013 Brazilian GP: Qualifying report

2013 Brazilian Grand Prix

Even in the face of heavy rain Sebastian Vettel cannot be stopped. He claimed his 45th career pole position and ninth for the year at the Brazilian Grand Prix this morning with a blistering lap (1:26.479), almost 0.7 seconds faster than Nico Rosberg (1:27.102) in P2.

The final Q3 session was delayed for around 40 minutes to allow heavy rain to pass and track conditions to improve. Once underway drivers first took to the track in full wets but it soon became clear that intermediates were the best option.

Fernando Alonso (1:27.539) qualified third and said he was no hope of catching Vettel but felt with a better lap he could have eclipsed Rosberg. Amazingly, for a man of Alonso’s talent, P3 equals his best grid position for the year, meaning he has not started on the front row all season.

Mark Webber (1:27.572) was fastest in a compromised FP3, but could only manage P4 in qualifying.”We are where we deserved to be I think, as I didn’t feel that quick in qualifying,” he said. “The car felt slow and I was struggling for grip. It was tricky for all of us, but we’re on the second row and we can still do something from there.”

Lewis Hamilton (1:27.677) will start from P5, ahead of Romain Grosjean (1:27.737) and Daniel Ricciardo (1:28.052). Indeed, Toro Rosso will be well pleased to see Jean-Eric Vergne (1:28.081) starting alongside Daniel after both drivers only just scraped through Q1 in 15th and 16th place.

“It’s the best qualifying the team has had in a long time and I am very happy that both cars are in the top eight,” Daniel explained. “I don’t think there was much between me and JEV today. Tomorrow? The weather will probably decide the story, but anyway, seventh is a great place from which to start. I will be very motivated to convert today’s work into points tomorrow on what will be my last race with Toro Rosso after two very happy seasons with them.”

Felipe Massa (1:28.109) and Nico Hulkenberg (1:29.582) round out the top 10.

[Pics: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Webber talks ahead of his final F1 grand prix

2013 United States Grand Prix

Ahead of this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix it was a no-brainer for the FIA to invite Mark Webber along to the Thursday press conference, where a selection of drivers front the media.

You can read the full transcript from that press conference after the break.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Vettel says Webber’s departure will hurt

2013 United States Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel reckons the public perception of his relationship with Mark Webber does not align with reality. Mostly perception has been shaped from the fallout of three races, the 2010 Turkish GP, 2010 British GP and the 2013 Malaysian GP.

Vettel’s theory is his professional relationship with Webber and Red Bull has produced a record of which only one outcome can be reached: it has been successful.

“I think generally people have a worse impression of the relationship that we’ve had,” Vettel said. “People tend to forget how successful we have been; I think it has been one of the strongest pairings in Formula One. Obviously we didn’t have the best relationship on a personal level but I think in terms of working professionally together for the team it has been very strong.”

The theory that Mark has been great at setting up and developing cars will be put to the test next year when Formula 1 switches to its new era of turbocharged V6 “power units” instead of normally aspirated V8 engines.

“Both of us have tried very hard to improve the car and surely the fact that he will not be around next year will be a loss for the team,” added Vettel. “A loss for myself because it has been always a huge challenge. I’ve learned a lot from him and I can stand up straight and say that there were many times and many places where I benefited from him.

“You could obviously say the same thing the other way around but I think—as I said—we’ve been extremely successful together and in that regard for sure it will be a hit for the team. But equally it is a new season, a new step next year anyway and with Daniel coming in a new time starts as well.”

[Source: ESPN | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Formula 1 Porsche Red Bull Racing WEC

Mark Webber starts with Porsche on Monday!

2014 Porsche LMP1

In his interview with Formula1.com Mark Webber was asked when he starts working with Porsche. “In January. Before that I will take some time off to detox from Formula One,” was his reply.

The lying scoundrel!

Here’s what his new boss, Matthias Muller, Porsche CEO told News Limited today: “We are very lucky that Mark will join us one day after the Formula One race in Sao Paulo.

“I met him last week when he had the seat fitting. We are very happy to have him.”

Mark is scheduled to have his first test in the 2014 Porsche LMP1 racecar next month and Muller knows the 16 time Le Mans winners will have a tough job ahead of them.

“Of course, we expect that we are competitive but we have to say that with Audi and Toyota we have strong competition. They have a lot of experience,” Muller added.

“We have a very fast car and a very good drivers’ team, so we have to see what happens. Of course, we want to be competitive and we will see during the race whether it is possible to win.”

Rumours suggest Brendon Hartley, former Webber protege and Toro Rosso test driver, could be joining Porsche’s Le Mans assault as well.

[Source: news.com.au]

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark is ready to say goodbye F1 and hello Porsche!

2013 United States Grand Prix

Mark Webber’s final Formula 1 race is only a matter of days away. He’s given a typically candid interview with Formula1.com which we think you should read if you haven’t already. Here’s a taster:

Q: What were your best F1 moments?
MW: Getting into Formula One—that without doubt was a massive moment for me. I got there in quite a tough way. For many, many years I was trying to break into Formula One and finally got there—that was super rewarding for me to get there on merit. My first contract was for three races! I didn’t do too badly, and now, 250 races later, I can say I’ve survived.

Your first win is another massive event. You do win in all the categories below Formula One—as that is the entrance ticket that you need—but then to win in Formula One is a whole different matter. And more importantly, I won in my own style. Special moments were winning Monte Carlo and Silverstone.

Of course on the other hand not winning the 2010 title was one of the toughest moments—but that’s life: if you shoot for the stars you sometimes miss! So yes, that was very disappointing, but I am still super proud of taking the fight for the title until the very last race. And it was not an easy year fighting for the title. Ha, I did not pick the easy year—I did not pick a ‘Jenson’ year! (laughs) I picked the year after, which was pretty tough.

But if you have such a long career you have many tough moments. Valencia—a big crash there—and the Williams times—difficult moments—but that’s part of a driver’s life if you do 12 years in that sport: you do have ups and downs.

Mark has also been giving some good insights into his F1 career via his personal website through his Getting to know Aussie Grit and Made my Mark series.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Caterham F1 in pictures Ferrari Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Toro Rosso

2013 United States Grand Prix in pictures

2013 United States Grand Prix

So it’s eight straight for Sebastian Vettel and with the chance of a record-equaling thirteenth win for the season on the cards in Sao Paulo next weekend we can forget any hopes of a consolation race victory handed to Mark Webber in his final Formula 1 appearance. Indeed, with Mark’s sometimes loose run with good fortune in F1 we should probably take bets on which lap his car will expire.

For now, though, let’s relive the good times from Austin and enjoy seeing Mark on an F1 podium for what could be the last time ever.

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Got a couple of seconds?

2013 United States Grand Prix

Red Bull is claiming a new pit stop record after the United States Grand Prix, saying they have bettered their previous best time of 2.05 seconds.

From the team’s post race press release:

Our car data showed Mark’s car was stationary for 1.923 seconds during his pit stop—breaking our previous record of 2.05 seconds (set at the 2013 Malaysia GP).

If true, that time beats the 2.02 second pit stop Mercedes AMG claims they recorded at the Japanese Grand Prix. We expect we might hear more about this from Red Bull in the next day or so.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]