Career Stats Team Red Bull Nationality Australian Podiums 2 Points 79 Grand Prix entered 105 World Championships 0 Highest race finish 3rd Highest grid position 2 Date of Birth 27/08/1976 Place of Birth Queanbeyan

Mark Webber's Formula 1 career to date has been a story of unfulfilled promise.

Widely rated as one of the fastest drivers on the grid, he has just two podiums to show for 105 grands prix.

He has spent many years dragging middling cars into unlikely positions, and misfortune has often intervened when he appeared to be on the brink of a breakthrough.

Perhaps the most galling instance was in Japan last year, where Webber had a genuine shot at Red Bull's first victory only to be rammed by Sebastian Vettel during a safety car period.

Several other promising races were lost to poor reliability, and Webber has urged the team to get on top of this in 2008.

If it can do so, he is convinced that Red Bull has the package and personnel to reach the top.

After so many years of racing hard for little reward, Webber certainly deserves a shot at success.

Career log

Webber made a remarkable F1 debut – benefiting from some first corner mayhem to score an emotional fifth place on his and Minardi team owner Paul Stoddart's home turf in Australia in 2002.

Stoddart and Webber were even allowed to celebrate their giant-killing success on the podium after the official presentation.

His continued heroics for Minardi earned Webber a move to the troubled but better-funded Jaguar team for 2003.

Ford's factory team was facing an uncertain future when Webber joined but his determination and talent gave the beleaguered staff a reason to keep pushing.

Having proved his skill in adversity at Minardi and Jaguar, Webber was ready to become a regular winner when he then joined Williams.

It was billed as a perfect partnership between a hard-charging, no-nonsense Aussie and a squad that had always prized such traits.

However, the 2005 Williams team was a far cry from the dominant operation of its glory days and the relationship ended after two years of frustration.

Webber had ignored the advice of his manager Flavio Briatore and turned down the chance of a Renault drive to join Williams – and then had to watch from the midfield as Renault swept to a pair of titles.

The few potential bright spots, such as a near-certain home podium in 2006 and a shot at Monaco victory later in the year, were lost to unreliability.

But rather than feeling bitter, Webber adopted a ‘chin up and press on' attitude and focused on a brighter future with Red Bull.

The early years

Webber had to overcome plenty of adversity to reach F1.

With only a minimal budget behind him, Webber won the prestigious Formula Ford Festival in 1996 then impressed in British Formula 3.

Mercedes spotted his potential and signed Webber for its sportscar programme.

This proved to be a chequered period for the Australian – as Webber and team favourite Bernd Schneider lost the 1998 FIA GT title at the last gasp.

The following year an aerodynamic problem sent Webber into two terrifying aerial accidents during practice for Le Mans.

He then returned to single-seaters and bounced back via two successful seasons in Formula 3000 and F1 testing duties for Arrows and Benetton, before getting his F1 break with his former F3000 team boss Stoddart at Minardi in 2002.

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