Rumor: Webber signs 5 year contract with Porsche WEC

[Infi24r]

' Kate Walker
‏@F1Kate
Don't know if this has done the rounds on Twitter yet, but the talk in China is that Webbo has signed a 5-year sportscar deal with Porsche.'

Doing its rounds but several sources are saying its official. He will be racing in the new Porsche Prototype class they are introducing next year.

[Kingdom Hearts]

Not a surprise, after being treated like crap by RB year after year, no wonder he has lost his will to drive in F1. But he had the chance to come to Ferrari and he declined, so it's his fault.

[Rob]

GT Porsche ‏@GTPorsche 20m
So @AussieGrit we'll see you in an LMP1 Porsche next year (and a further 4 after that). Excellent news!

Not surprised at all. Next year Porsche rocking up with all new LMP1, and may have good crack at taking fight to sister company Audi. Mark has Enduro experience, and will fit into it well.

[Infi24r]

Not a surprise, after being treated like crap by RB year after year, no wonder he has lost his will to drive in F1. But he had the chance to come to Ferrari and he declined, so it's his fault.

He wanted RBR to support his 2012 title bid, when he re signed he was beating Vettel and looked stronger.

Then several bad calls and mechanical failures occurred.

[Rob]

He wanted RBR to support his 2012 title bid, when he re signed he was beating Vettel and looked stronger.

Then several bad calls and mechanical failures occurred.

The car changed to Vettels liking.

[GamD]

Webber reminds me of Peter Andre...

[izybluffen]

Webber has been linked to Porsche and Le mans drives for a few years, so this could be just another rumor. But think of the Newey tech he could bring with him if he jumped to another F1 team ?

[redkid]

So long Mate and thanks for the memories!

It does not require a rocket scientist to know that Webber is being treated by RB as a real number two driver...both in machinery and status (personal relationship). I think its high time for him to call it a career in F1.

[Kyss4k]

So long Mate and thanks for the memories!

It does not require a rocket scientist to know that Webber is being treated by RB as a real number two driver...both in machinery and status (personal relationship). I think its high time for him to call it a career in F1.

Hopefully after he'll be gone from RB he will shed some light on what was actually going on.

[Hornet]

It's probably best for Webber to leave Red Bull after this season, he won't achieve anything staying with Red Bull. People like Marko should have been fired a long time ago but I guess that behavior is typical in Red Bull.

I hope he'll be happier in his new racing career next year.

[tifosi1993]

Red Bull divided
After directly disobeying his paymasters in Malaysia, Sebastian Vettel had a chance to show contrition in China. Instead he admitted he would do the same again purely because he did not feel his team-mate Mark Webber deserved the win. With those comments he further undermined the authority of team boss Christian Horner and gave the finger to the team that has made him a superstar. The remarkable thing is that he chose to inflame the situation when he had the perfect opportunity to play things down. At some point since Malaysia he appears to have been backed in his actions rather than punished for them and you have to wonder why Horner didn't taken a firmer line. We've known for some time that Helmut Marko is a powerful influence within the team and a strong ally of Vettel, and if the Austrian is backing his prodigy then perhaps Horner is too preoccupied with his own intra-team politics to effectively sort out the rift between his drivers. It is impossible to imagine the likes of Ron Dennis or Sir Frank Williams being made to look so emasculated, but they are team owners rather than team managers. Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz appears to have turned a blind eye, but is that such a surprise when Marko is his closest advisor?

Link

[DJTaurus]

I dont understand why he didnt choose to try his luck 1-2 years with another team and prove his competitiveness. Maybe his contract with porsche is a lot of money.

[Rob]

I dont understand why he didnt choose to try his luck 1-2 years with another team and prove his competitiveness. Maybe his contract with porsche is a lot of money.

To be fair to Mark, there isnt many top teams he could sign for. Very doubt that he would join us next year if Felipe does not sign again. As we be looking for younger blood. Couldnt see Lotus next year as Kimi only contracted this year, and Lotus have shown to be hit and miss, Mark would want join team that is consistantly front runner every race weekend.

The Porsche links has been kickin around for bit, not 100% confirmed, but i wouldnt be surprised

Wouldnt be money behind the move, be the racing, pure flat out racing. Team mates who respect you and you respect them.

[Aussie]

Love webbo I hope he goes. Porsche won't him around.

[sagi58]

To be fair to Mark, there isnt many top teams he could sign for. Very doubt that he would join us next year if Felipe does not sign again. As we be looking for younger blood. Couldnt see Lotus next year as Kimi only contracted this year, and Lotus have shown to be hit and miss, Mark would want join team that is consistantly front runner every race weekend.

The Porsche links has been kickin around for bit, not 100% confirmed, but i wouldnt be surprised

Wouldnt be money behind the move, be the racing, pure flat out racing. Team mates who respect you and you respect them.

In fact, all comments are excellent points!!

[Greig]

photo.JPG

Maybe he is telling Alonso all about it

[Rob]

Mark is flexing his guns aswell.

Bet Vettel will love seeing that Come on Mark we all know that he want help Fernando at years end if needed

They have been good friends for number of years now.

[watto2]

Surprised Mark has put up with Vonder Kinder's tantrums as long as he has. Forgive me if I'm wrong but doesn't that team owe Mark for a lot of it's success through his many years driving there?

[FrankAlfa]

Williams, Lotus or McLaren would be a good place for Webber if he stays in F1.

Ciao,

Forza Ferrari!!!

[roddick_andy]

Red Bull’s Mark Webber was very much in the spotlight in China last weekend, though not for the reasons he would have liked. A pit-lane start after a refuelling error in qualifying was followed by a collision with Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne and an unlikely retirement when a wheel came off his RB9. And all the time the rumours swirled about what he may or may not be doing next season, in light of his recent ‘disagreement’ with team mate Sebastian Vettel. Surely the only way is up in Bahrain this weekend…

Q: Mark, after the rollercoaster ride you’ve been through in the last few weeks, you get a three-place grid penalty for this weekend…
Mark Webber: I think these days they always have to do something. Whenever there is an incident there has to be some form of investigation - and a penalty. For me I have to say as I was the guy on the passing move so the majority probably goes on me, but Jean-Eric looked as if he was cooperating initially - and then he moved back and we’ve made contact. If he would have given more room we would have gone through there together, but unfortunately both of our races were ruined with a pit stop for me that wasn’t going well.

Q: It is fair to say that it is very difficult to be more unlucky than you’ve been - so what are your expectations for the next three days?
MW: Haha, tell me about it! I hope so! China was going so well up until qualifying - Q2 - and then literally the wheel fell off. After that it was a tricky weekend and pretty frustrating. Up until Saturday afternoon the team did a fantastic job giving me a car to be fast and in regards of the reliability problems they will be addressed very quickly - and we are going forward from there.

Q: So what are your expectations for this weekend?
MW: I think we should be pretty quick here, but I also expect that we will have some strong opposition - as we had at the first three races. In Melbourne, Malaysia and China we had different people being quick and have seen tight races. For us, as I just said we should be pretty strong here - whether it is enough to have a more comfortable scenario as we did in Malaysia in terms of pace remains to be seen. Remember Kimi (Raikkonen) qualified 12th last year and nearly won the race - so it seems everything is possible these days.

Q: China seems to have been a pretty tough race for the fans to understand what was going on…
MW: Yes, it was. It was all about tyres, strategy and in the end who was first to approach lap 56. Here I predict that the tyres will still play a massive role, so hopefully the fans will get a bit better understanding of what they are looking at.

Q: There have been many rumours about your future. What’s the truth about these?
MW: I have made it clear in China that I have not made any plans of my future and you can ask anybody in my camp if we do know what I am doing next year - we don’t!

Q: We all have heard that you went out for dinner with Fernando Alonso in Dubai. How would you describe that social get together?
MW: It was good. We catch up two or three times every year - so nothing special. I have known Fernando for 13 years. Probably this weekend I will go out with Jenson (Button). You know the drivers can go out and socialize! There is no need for all that paranoia.



http://www.formula1.com/news/intervi...3/4/14475.html

[watto2]

Just read on another website Porsche deny Mark has signed for them! Have to watch this space.

[Rob]

There has been talk about it for few weeks. not sure how true it is, but wouldnt surprise me

[wisepie]

Autocar magazine in UK this week suggests again that Mark could be lined up to replace Felipe if this season doesn't get results. On the basis so far in 2013, why on earth would we want to replace Felipe at all? God this is annoying!

[Infi24r]

Autocar magazine in UK this week suggests again that Mark could be lined up to replace Felipe if this season doesn't get results. On the basis so far in 2013, why on earth would we want to replace Felipe at all? God this is annoying!

I couldn't be happier with this result and if Massa underperforms I see it as very likely.

He would support Alonso too. I'm sure they've spoken about it.

[Greig]

If Webber was coming here just to support Alonso then he would be as well retiring

[Suzie]

Team orders with a side of whinging, no thanks.

[Rob]

Team orders with a side of whinging, no thanks.

Thats why i cannt ever see Kimi going to RBR, as he isnt going to be #2 to Vettel.

[Rishu]

I couldn't be happier with this result and if Massa underperforms I see it as very likely.

He would support Alonso too. I'm sure they've spoken about it.

If indeed he is happy supporting lead driver in a team, then why not sign another Red Bull contract?

[Infi24r]

If indeed he is happy supporting lead driver in a team, then why not sign another Red Bull contract?

Because he doesn't like Seb?

[Rishu]

Because he doesn't like Seb?

And why doesn't he like Seb? I think the problem is not here, his problem is that he doesn't want to be a support driver, he wants to win championships.