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Mark Webber is a modest individual. The Australian confesses that he is “no light version” despite a productive off-season fitness regime on the back of a disappointing 2011 campaign.
Red Bull’s self-styled number-two driver is famed for telling it how it is, so when Webber says that his latest toy, the RB8, is “pretty well prepared” you better believe it.
This man oozes confidence, holding the enviable record of being the last driver to win a Grand Prix, not that he’s keen to remind anybody about it.
Webber does admit that “I want to pick up where I left off in Brazil”, but then again who wouldn’t.
You see, from these wise words alone, it is apparent that this man is no fool.
Mark Webber has an objective, he outlines it clearly and succinctly; there is no dancing around the task at hand.
He speaks plain English, masterfully employing a style which is not insulting to the eloquently spoken individual, nor beyond the simpleton.
He is quite simply the proletariat of Formula One; he is the common man, the everyone’s man. Call him what you wish.
If somebody was just getting into the sport, you would recommend that they support Mark Webber.
When asked whether he – and his team – was in a strong position heading into this week’s final pre-season test, he responded by saying “it’s impossible to know”. Seriously, this man is inspiring, whereas most other drivers are too naive to hold back on an opinion until the first race of the season.
Queried as to when he would know exactly how strong the RB8 is Webber reiterated the above, saying “you’ll know that at the first race”.
“That’s the time for the true colours. Until then, we have to do anything to make these true colours to our liking”.
This passage epitomises the Australian’s easy-going nature, by using nouns such as ‘anything’ and ‘make’, while throwing in ‘true colours’ to keep the upper-class individual content.
Webber evokes a sense of appeal to the tradesmen of society when pressed on the new one-move rule. He compares it’s introduction to “like when you’re on a construction site and you have to wear those hi-vis jackets… it will be hard and fair”.
For this alone, you might as well award Webber a Nobel Peace Prize, or an Oscar. Forget The Artist, this man’s decency in acknowledging all social stratas is unparalleled, certainly in motorsport circles.
Webber doesn’t pretend to be a technical boffin either.
When he is pressed on which device can give Red Bull the edge in 2012, he plays a straight-bat, cooly stating “I don’t know these things. That is a question for Adrian (Newey).”
His solution to the top teams’ insatiable desire for success is, to quote Channel Nine cricket commentator and serial memorabilia flogger Tony Greig, “moorvellous”, truly sensational stuff.
“So lets go to Melbourne to find out” Webber says.
Simply beautiful.
You may be thinking, hang on, that is Nokia’s motto, but there really is no other way to summarise this quote.
If only every driver was more like Mark Webber, Formula One would be better off.
Webber bravely addresses the notion of his poor home event record, claiming that “there is a bit more tension at the home race, but in the car you do your thing wherever you are”.
The magic of Mark Webber is the tone in which he delivers his speech. He could be referring to anything here. He attaches a level of ambiguity, opening a pandora’s box of thoughts to filter through one’s mind and that is priceless.
Webber even makes the novelty of speaking in the third-person sound clever, seamlessly transitioning back into first person within a matter of three words, serving up a classic “the most important thing for Mark Webber is that I perform”.
His final thought on the season which lies ahead serves, if anything, to reiterate everything he said prior; “for 2012 I want to have a good start, keep it together in the middle part and have a good finish”.
Now that is truly the mark, excuse the pun, of a man, who has seen it all and is stronger for the experience, preaching his wisdom to the masses.
With season 2012 right around the corner, Mark Webber is leaner, he’s meaner, he’s the Webberesque.
But most importantly of all, he tells it like it is.
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