Mark Webber to quit F1 after current season

Mark Webber will leave F1 at the end of the season.

Mark Webber will leave Formula One at the end of the season to sign for Porsche.

Ever since the infamous “team order” incident which exploded in Malaysia, there was always a question mark over Webber’s future at Red Bull, and he will now move to Porsche ahead of its return to Le Mans, where he spent two years in the late ‘90s with AMG-Mercedes. Looking ahead to his move in to sports cars, Webber said that he’s excited about the life after Formula.

Webber said in a statement on his website: “I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula One, I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world.”

The move will ensure an end to a career spanning 12-years in Formula One for Webber, and a long association of seven years with Red Bull. Webber has won 9 races so far in his F1 career, and came within a whisker of winning the drivers’ championship in 2010, only to lose out the title to his team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Webber’s move has been hurried by a breakdown in the relationship with his team-mate Sebastian Vettel after the German ignored team orders to overtake Webber and win the Malaysian Grand Prix, at the start of this season.

But on the field, the duo have delivered three consecutive constructor championships to the Red Bull, with Vettel winning all three drivers’ championships.

Kimi Raikkonen is being tipped as a replacement of Webber, with Christian Horner, the team’s Principal, telling the Guardian yesterday: “Kimi would have to be an option, if he were to be available. We’re in the fortunate position that there are an awful lot of people who would like to drive a Red Bull racing car.”