A relative latecomer to motorsports having, in true Aussie style, embraced a host of other sports in his youth, Webber didn’t discover motor racing until he was 14 but it quickly became his passion. At 16, he became New South Wales State Karting Champion and after enjoying more success in Formula Ford, he bit the bullet and moved to the UK.

He graduated to Formula 3 in 1997 and the successes he enjoyed there led to a works drive for Mercedes in sports cars. He raced well in the category but returned to open-wheel competition in 2000, spending two successful years in F3000. In 2001 he combined a championship challenge with Super Nova in the junior category and test-driving duties for Benetton in F1. F3000 victories at Imola, Monaco and Magny-Cours, and a solid year of testing were enough to land Webber an F1 seat in 2002 with Minardi, for whom he scored an outstanding and memorable fifth place on his debut in the Australian Grand Prix.

Further gutsy performances during the year meant Webber was soon on the move – first to Jaguar Racing in 2003 and then to Williams, where, in 2005 at the Monaco Grand Prix, he claimed his first podium finish.

The defining move came in 2007, when Mark was announced as a Red Bull Racing driver. Third place in bad weather conditions at the Nürburgring proved his worth in that first year, and over the following season and a half he worked diligently with the team as it developed into a consistent points-scorer. Reward for the hard work materialised fully in 2009, when Mark claimed his maiden F1 victory at the German Grand Prix. He doubled his tally by claiming the top step at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

Mark carried the good form through to 2010 and after wins in Spain, Monaco, Germany and Hungary he was a championship contender right up until the final race, where he narrowly lost out to team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

The following year’s campaign was one of ups and downs as Mark adapted his driving style to the demands of Pirelli tyres. Despite this, Mark managed to score more points than in the previous campaign and finished the year in style with victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Last year saw Mark add to his tally of victories. Before his second win at Silverstone, came victory in Monaco, which put him in an exclusive band of drivers to have won that famous race more than once. He also scored two further podium finishes, in Korea and India.

Visit his official website: www.markwebber.com