on Jul 23, 2011
It’s the moment every driver dreams of, crossing the line for their first F1 victory. For Mark Webber that moment came here at the Nürburgring two years ago. He recalls what it was like…
“About halfway through the race it looked like I was going to win the grand prix. The car was very reliable, I was quick enough and could respond to anyone’s pace, so it just came down to reliability and the conditions not changing. After the final pitstop I was still incredibly focused, but it’s amazing how, when you have the margin I had that day, you’re able to think of other things. You sit there and really do think: ‘Wow… at last this is going to happen.’ You’re leading, you’ve got there and you absolutely know you’re not going to make a mess of it. But you’re still playing out scenarios in your head – all the Plan Bs and Cs. I did carry a bit more speed through the chicane though, just in case the car broke I had enough pace to roll across the finish line! When I did finally cross it, the feeling was just one of relief. It’s not the race, the venue is not that important – it’s your career. It’s the occasion of doing something you haven’t done before, something that a lot of people haven’t done. When I got out of the car the biggest thing I was looking forward to was the national anthem. It’s always been my responsibility to get that anthem played at a grand prix and when I heard it, it was pretty emotional. In the races that follow, your composure is completely different. You do change the way you drive a grand prix from the front, because you’ve done it. It was uncharted waters before, but now you’ve mapped them and you drive thinking, ‘Yup, been here before, no problem, I know how to manage this’. It’s like it’s the final piece of the jigsaw has been slotted into place.”
Credit: Red Bull Racing Formula one Team (www.redbullracing.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment