CW 5Q: Mark Webber

When Britta Roeske, Red Bull Racing’s cheery PR person, asked if I’d like to sit in on team driver Mark Webber’s daily press briefing following qualifying for the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis this past June, I immediately agreed, even though I had no idea what, if anything, I’d ask the Formula One veteran.

When the time came for the meeting, Roeske showed me to an empty table. “Mark will be along in a minute,” she said. I was soon joined by two other journalists, and shortly thereafter the 6-foot-tall Webber slipped into the chair directly across from me.

“Cycle World,” he said, acknowledging the patch on my shirt sleeve. “How’s the new Hornet?” Caught off-guard about the Euro-only Honda 600 standard, I fumbled for a response. “Haven’t ridden it yet,” I admitted. “But the Brits seem to like it.” Back on my feet, so to speak, I explained to Webber that I’d come to Indy in hopes of comparing and contrasting F-1 to MotoGP, and that only two weeks before I had a front-row seat for Valentino Rossi’s popular victory at the Italian GP at Mugello. “Lucky dog,” he exclaimed with apparent sincerity.

Turns out, the 30-year-old Australian’s response was indeed sincere. Webber is the product of a motorcycle family (his father owned a dealership in Queanbeyan, New South Wales), and he is a big fan of two-wheel racing. He even counts Kevin Schwantz among his personal heroes.

What are your thoughts on the idea of Indianapolis hosting a MotoGP race?

“This place is very slick. No question about it. Facilities-wise, it’s very, very good, and the atmosphere isn’t bad. The track itself is not fantastic—for cars or bikes. MotoGP definitely has a place in America, and I think they could get a big crowd here.”

What aspects of the track don’t you like?

“The infield section in particular—it’s totally the opposite of Mugello. They need to put more topography into the infield, not banking but a bit of something. Look, it’s not easy, with the drainage and car park and all the stuff that goes with it, but they can do it. They’re not digging holes; they’re adding dirt. There’s so much space out there.”

What about the walls paralleling Turns 12 and 13? There’s no way MotoGP could run here using the current configuration, right?

“That’s a question for the riders. What do they do at Daytona? For me, it would be totally unacceptable for them to come through there on a bike. The rest is fine.”

Does Indy remind you of any tracks in Europe?

“Silverstone in England. Back in the day, they used it for aircraft. It doesn’t have much topography, either, but it has a fantastic sequence of corners.”

Do you pull for any MotoGP rider in particular?

“Casey Stoner, of course. But I’ve also got a soft spot for Valentino because all of his guys are Australians. One of his main mechanics is from my hometown. Mick Doohan, another Aussie, was an unsung hero for what he did on the bikes of his time. He smashed his opponents every session. Not just every race but every session. He was a ferocious competitor and a fantastic individual. He has nowhere near the credit in Australia that he should have gotten. He’s a really good guy.”