Motorsport: Webber set for change of luck in Melbourne

Mark Webber does a spot of high-speed gardening during last year's Australian Grand Prix. Photo / Getty Images

MELBOURNE - Ever since his jubilant debut in 2002, Mark Webber has trudged away from Albert Park, head bowed in frustration.

But there are compelling reasons why this year's Australian Grand Prix will not dodge his crosshairs.

Webber will return to his home track for the March 27 season-opener a hero and the face of the race. He may well also be the ace of the race.

Often dubbed the unluckiest driver in Formula One, Webber has endured under-performing teams, lingering injury and for most of his career driven under a glare of unwarranted criticism.

Circumstances meant success came late but he was finally able to prove to the legion of onlookers what insiders always knew - F1 is like horse racing in that the beast you steer is the key to success.

Once he had a competitive car, as his Red Bull was in 2009, Webber won. He broke through at the German Grand Prix. And then he won again in Brazil.

Last season he reinforced the point, collecting four grands prix including the prized Monaco race, and led the championship for a good part of the year before losing it to teammate Sebastian Vettel in the final race in Abu Dhabi.

Webber will be 35 this year but has reflexes and physical and mental strength superior to rivals 10 years younger. He has the greater experience and he has conquered the disappointments and the doubters.

Importantly he has the searing desire to win in Australia, the full backing of the team and a car which - at least in pre-season testing - indicates it will once more be the pacesetter.

Since his remarkable fifth place and points finish in his debut race in Australia in a backmarker Minardi in 2002, Webber's record at home has been dismal. His best finish remains fifth (2002 and 2005) and he has retired four times.

But he will enter this year's race finally fit and free of his nagging injuries from cycling spills, reinvigorated by last year's sizzling form and motivated to out-gun his petulant teammate Vettel.

Webber sent a shot across the bows of Ferrari, McLaren and the rest during final testing early in March and drew high praise from the ultimate man-who-matters at Red Bull, owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

Mateschitz said on the eve of the Australian GP that Webber was certainly as good as the much-praised Vettel, who appeared to receive preferential treatment by Red Bull last year.

This led to an icy relationship between the rugged Australian and the baby-faced German but Webber says they have long since settled their differences and he has tired of the topic.

Mateschitz says that as long as Webber is given equal equipment he is talented enough to use it to win.

"Mark's personality is different, but he is as good as Sebastian," the billionaire energy drinks entrepreneur said.

"They are both excellent warriors who can both win the war."

Red Bull lit up the track at testing at Catalunya in Barcelona but even so, Webber has had to fend off claims by his rivals that Red Bull are "sandbagging" or holding back on their true pace.

Renault's Niki Heidfeld is one who fears that's the case.

"I think they are still not showing everything," Heidfeld said. "If you look at the sector times they still have something in their pocket."

Webber says that's rubbish but admits the RB7, which has headed the timesheets consistently, is flying ahead of the Australian race.

"There's not enough time to play games with yourself let alone other people. There's a lot of people on a similar pace, don't worry about that," Webber said.

He says not a lot of comparative information will be relevant before the race weekend.

"I don't think there is a huge amount of evidence to go on from the previous eight weeks to be honest," he said.

"We need to go racing. Yes, we have a good car, but we are not going to be hostages to fortune and say that we are going to destroy everybody in the first race.

"That would be naive. There will be a lot of people at the same rhythm. Ferrari are there, McLaren aren't holding back either.

"I will be able to say a lot more after the Australian Grand Prix. Saturday evening we will know 60 per cent of our strength but the other 40 per cent will be confirmed after the race."

Australia has won pole position on the F1 calendar by default after the Bahrain GP was postponed due to civil unrest in the Gulf state. Testing returned to Spain and Webber said the car is now ready.

"You can always do with more time but I think we are ready to go and see where we are," he said.

"You always learn more when you go racing, about your strengths and weaknesses and as a team.

"That comes from pace, reliability, pit stops, organisation, Saturdays and Sundays - the whole weekend needs to be tested shortly and we'll go from there."

- AAP