Webber ‘unlikely’ to race beyond Formula 1

Mark Webber says it’s unlikely that he’ll look to race full-time in another category once his Formula 1 career comes to a close.

The Australian’s future has been the subject of continual speculation in recent seasons as he operates on a series of one-year contracts with Red Bull Racing.

The most senior driver on the grid following the retirement of Michael Schumacher, the 36-year-old told media in Melbourne ahead of the weekend’s Australian Grand Prix that he cannot imagine moving to a less competitive team in order to prolong his F1 tenure, which is now entering its 12th season.

Although Webber has been linked to a return to sportscar racing after Formula 1, potentially with Porsche’s new-for-2014 LMP1 program, the nine-time Grand Prix winner also believes that it’ll be hard to find the motivation to compete in anything beyond F1.

“I’d say it’s unlikely,” he said when asked by Speedcafe.com if he sees himself stepping into another category of racing.

“You never say never, but Formula 1 is the pinnacle, the absolute pinnacle. There’s nothing else really like it, especially when you’re coming from the situation when you’re in a top team and with a team operationally that’s running very, very well in Red Bull.

“But I haven’t been retired yet either, so I don’t know how it feels,” he added.

“Normally when you retire you obviously want a bit of a break from things, but a beach towel is not very exciting and I’m not very good at reading a book on a beach, so you have to find other things that interest you and will get you motivated. Whether that’s in car racing outside Formula 1, I’m not sure.”

Webber finished sixth in last year’s World Drivers’ Championships standings, five places and 102 points adrift of team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

See below for more of Mark Webber’s thoughts on his future and the 2013 Formula 1 season

See below for Speedcafe.com’s Australian Grand Prix Race Guide