Driver profile: Mark Webber

Mark Webber faces one of Formula 1's toughest challenges in driving alongside Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel but Webber is more than good enough to keep the precocious German on his toes.

Webber's stats and facts

  • Team: Red Bull
  • Team-mate: Sebastian Vettel
  • Previous teams: Minardi, Jaguar and Williams
  • Nationality: Australian
  • Born: 27/08/1976, Queanbeyan
  • Grand Prix debut: Australia 2002

Unable to adapt his driving to the unique and counter-intuitive demands of 2011's blown diffusers, the Australian bounced back in 2012 to have the better of Vettel for the first half of the season.

That he faded in the second half was as much to do with a series of technical problems and sheer bad luck as it was to do with a handful of weak-ish performances from Webber.

Webber is also psychologically as tough as they come - he manages to keep his motivation high despite the clear preference shown for Vettel by Red Bull motorsport chief Helmut Marko and continues to be able to deliver top drawer performances such as those that led to wins in Monaco and Silverstone last year.

At 36, Webber is fond of pointing out that he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but whenever he calls time expect him to fight to the very end.