I was shocked to hear about Mark Webber’s savage accident today. On a fast descent on his bicycle, he collided head on with a 4WD vehicle while competing in his Tasmania Challenge. It sounds like a really nasty shunt and it left his right leg badly broken. He has had surgery to repair it, a metal pin inserted and it will be a lengthy rehabilitation. It’s probably along the lines of the surgery Barry Sheene had and although there is no bright side to an accident like this, it’s probably just very fortunate that it was not his left leg, which is the braking leg for an F1 driver. There are many corners in F1 where the driver needs to put 90kg of pressure into the brake pedal, so the left leg needs to be very strong and it would take more to rehabilitate that one, I’d imagine.
Mark is a very keen cyclist, he rides road and mountain bikes as part of his training for F1 and this event in Tasmania is a really stiff physical challenge. He’s the kind of bloke who likes to push himself to the limit physically and doesn’t hide from a challenge. He’s relentessly self critical too. Earlier this year he went riding with Lance Armstrong in the hills around Monaco and related how Lance said to him, ‘Right, now it’s time to go into the hurt box,” at which point he took off up a steep incline, pushing his body to the limit. Webber went after him and said later he knew exactly what “the hurtbox’ was that day!
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I’d say its a credit to just how fit these F1 drivers are, that this accident wasnt any worse. I’ve also heard that he hit his head pretty hard as well, although his helmet will have taken most of the blow there.
Quite lucky there wasnt any more damage either!
I’m sure DC will lend a helping hand, but with a child pattering around his feet, I’m sure he wont have as much time to lend as he would have wanted. Perhaps Red Bull will have to give former employee’s Liuzzi and Klien a call?
Hope the fella gets well soon anyway. He has a lot more to do in F1, i.e. win a race or two – and I’m sure he’ll be (metaphorically) kicking himself if this accident puts end to that!
Awful to hear such news. Hope the recovery goes well. He’s a great bloke – the fact he was doing a charity event at the time says it all.
It will be interesting if Anthony Davidson wants to do anymore testing, or whether he will look to other series. If I were Reb Bull I’d seriously consider throwing some cash at him. I’d have thought Liuzzi and Klien are under contract elsewhere – plus I’m not convinced they’re such fantastic test drivers either!
Hear, hear.
Ouch! What a…. I was going to say shame… but really its a calamity!
Mark is one of the few honest, charitable blokes who nobody has a bad word to say about.
BUT… this off season is with out doubt the most important off season there has been. Should Red Bull have allowed this? They would say ‘yes of course’ – it’s in their spirit. But what a price!
Not only will it badly affect there development, the direction the car moves in, but most of all Mark … and you can be sure he knows it. I can see him lying in the Hospital bed cursing away.
It must be very difficult to arrive in March with no experience of Kers, New Aero, Slicks or any say in how it should have been adapted to suit Mark. Yes other can test, but as a driver I am sure he would have wanted the input and final say. Vettel was always going to be a tough order… but now he will be one with all the development and say in the development. It hurts… and I am not Mark.
I truly hope that the F1 medical specialists can advance the treatment forwards but not at the cost of his long time recovery.
As I really think he is one of the best… I truly wish him the swiftest recovery possible
If Mark didnt have bad luck, he wouldnt have any luck at all! Your very right James in saying that he’s fortunate to have not broken his ‘braking’ leg as the force those guys apply to the brakes is so immense. Get well soon Mark.
hi james,
just a quickie, i don’t care what anyone says i think that you’re the best commentator in the world and i’m really annoyed that your not getting transfered to the bbc for 2009 your great!!!!!!
I like many other people around the world were shocked to hear that Mark Webber had broken his leg in a bike accident, i really like Mark he’s one of my favourite drivers and all i can do is pray for him to have a speedy recovery and hope he can get back in the car as quickly as possible because he’s going to have his hands full with that young Vettel next year. GO MARK YOUR BRILL!!!