A diagnosis of Mark Webber's 2010 season

"For all Sebastian Vettel's brilliance at Red Bull, the gritty underdog Mark Webber had been in front of him or right on his tail.

"Webber's speed has really impressed me this season and some of his victories in the last two years have been astonishing. Any F1 driver in history would accept many of those on their CV.

"But every so often he has a wobbly one and ends up back in the pack and in trouble, such as flying off the back of a Lotus in Valencia. Like Button, he is occasionally slightly off the pace all weekend.

"I know for many people the Australian would have been a popular champion. Webber knows his time is running out, but I don't see Red Bull being slow next year."

Name three attributes an F1 driver must have

Conditioning, composure and confidence.

What is the hardest thing about being an F1 driver?

Constant travel.

Formula 1 is not just about the car because…

... it needs to be controlled precisely by a driver, in all conditions.

If I was in charge of Formula 1 I would…

... return more classic tracks to the calendar.

If I could drive in any era of Formula 1 it would be…

The late Eighties.

Who is your best friend among the drivers?

Jonny Kane (Le Mans driver).

Which F1 driver tells the worst jokes?

The Germans except Sebastian Vettel, who's actually very funny.

Describe yourself in a few words.

Impatient, demanding and down-to-earth.

Do you excel at any other sports?

I don't excel at any sport in particular but enjoy having a crack at all of them.

What car(s) other than an F1 car do you drive?

A Porsche 911 Turbo, a Nissan Navara, and a Renault Laguna Wagon.

What is your favourite song and what does it remind you of?

I don't have one favourite song, but I like Pink, Oasis, U2 etc.

What's the last book that you read?

'First into Action' - a book about the Special Boat Service.

What three words would you use to describe what it's like to be a Formula 1 driver?
Exhilarating, concentration - you need a lot of that - breathtaking.

What is the biggest perk of the job?
The worst part of the job are the hotels and the best bit is racing each other.

How would you like to be remembered as an F1 driver?
As someone who was quick and always gave his best.

What is your most embarrassing sporting moment?
It has to be crashing off my mountain bike and breaking my leg in my own adventure race in 2008!

Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost?
Prost.

Spa or Monaco?
Spa.

WEBBER STATS & FACTS Team: Red Bull Team-mate: Sebastian Vettel Previous teams: Minardi, Jaguar and Williams Car number: 14 Nationality: Australian Born: 27/08/1976, Queanbeyan Grand Prix debut: Australia 2002

If you weren't an F1 driver what would you be?

A firefighter.

Who is the greatest sportsman of all time?
You have to look at what [Muhammad] Ali did. He was an unbelievable sportsman and an unbelievably powerful person, more outside the ring than in it.

He was just a phenomenal person. There was no media then in comparison to now and so to be as big as he was, I can't see anyone matching what Ali was.

What would be your perfect day off?
Train before breakfast then have a nice shower, nice brekkie, watch Australia playing some sort of sport on TV for most of the day, a bit of Xbox and then a nice meal with (partner) Anne.

Where is your favourite place to go on holiday?
Oman and Australia.

Apart from a house what is the most expensive thing that you own?
BMW M5.

What is your favourite item of clothing?
A cashmere jumper which Flavio (Briatore, his manager) bought me last Christmas

Which famous person - dead or alive - would you like to have dinner with and why?
Hitler - I'd ask him why.

Tell us something about yourself that most F1 fans might not know
I don't own a (hair) brush - and haven't done for 10 years.

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