Mark Webber joins Porsche to contest Le Mans and World Endurance Championship from 2014

The Australian Formula 1 driver Mark Webber has signed a contract with Porsche that extends over several years it has been announced. From the 2014 season, he will compete in the new Porsche LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports
car World Endurance Championship (WEC).

The 36-year-old Australian has already raced at Le Mans twice. In 1998 he finished runner-up in the FIA GT Championship at the wheel of a sports prototype. Over the course of his Formula 1 career from 2002 until today, Webber has achieved 36 podium places, nine race victories and has started from pole position eleven times.

"It's an honour for me to join Porsche on its return to the top category at Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and to be part of the team. Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level," said Mark.

"I'm very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to drive one of the fastest sports cars in the world."

"I'm very pleased to have secured Mark Webber for our LMP1 project as one of the best and most successful Formula 1 drivers of our time," said Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. "Mark is without doubt one of the world's best race drivers, he has experience at the Le Mans 24 hours race, and on top of that he's been a Porsche enthusiast for many years."

"I learned to appreciate Mark's qualities when we were both involved in Formula 1," said Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1. "He is one of the best drivers I could imagine for our team. I'm absolutely delighted that we have such an experienced and fast regular driver on-board from 2014."

Posted in: Australian Formula 1,Europe,F1,Fritz Enzinger,Le Mans,Mark Webber,Motor Sports,Porsche,Wolfgang Hatz,World Endurance Championship