Inching ever closer to his first ever Grand Prix victory, Red Bull’s Mark Webber spent his free weekend between the British and the German Grands Prix at a motorcycle race. We got inside his head.
There has only been a single man who has won world championships on both motorcycles and in racing cars: John Surtees.
He was the man to beat on bikes in the 1950s. He won an incredible 38 of the 49 Grands Prix he entered and became world champion seven times in two classes, riding Nortons and MV Agustas. He then switched to cars and won the Formula One world championship for Ferrari when Jimmy Clark’s Lotus 25 died on him on the last lap of a wacky 1964 Mexican Grand Prix.
Apart from Valentino Rossi’s flirting with Ferrari a few years back, modern drivers don’t experiment with the number of wheels they ride. Mark Webber is no exception. The photos you’re about to see were taken at a Superbike World Championship at Donington Park, the site of next year’s British Grand Prix.
Mr. Webber has kindly agreed to provide commentary for which we cannot be thankful enough.
Okay, so they are racing weird machines here but certain elements suggest we are still at a motor race. Good. Yamaha grid girls!
Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Yes, Jonathan [Rea, driver for Ten Kate Honda – Ed], but do you have a lever that launches a homing missile on Ross Brawn’s brain in outer space?
Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Honda. Hmm! Not much of a future in F1—or is there? Wait, I think I’ve found that lever for the anti-Brawn missile after all. Excellent.
Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
It’s reassuring that tire cozies are not exclusive to Formula One. Such sissiness pinned on a single category would be terrible.
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Oh, great. These people wear Brawn GP team colors. I just bet Ross is picking my brain this very minute. Mate, unplug now, willya?
Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Is that down under macho enough or shall I grab the girl in green with the umbrella?
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I may be making a silly face but you will not be keeping keep my Red Bull hat for long, motorcycle boy [Tom Sykes of Team Yamaha – Ed], oh no you won’t.
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These guys are fast but I am faster.
Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images