An hour long video about a career stint that lasted only 2 years? This should be a treat. EDIT after watching: Damn right it is. I remember seriously getting into F1 in 2006 after watching a bit in 2005, it's wild to flash back and realize just how much misfortune of Webber that I didn't notice at the time. Though it is funny to learn that even back then, there was always a factor behind his notoriously poor starts, just like in a good portion of his Red Bull days.
Likewise. Even as a Williams fan, I was transfixed by the title duels we got both years and it was easy to miss subplots like Webber and Williams. Thanks for the support!
Great essay. Mark visited my workplace - an Australian law firm - back in 2004. There was a weird little event where he was introduced to all the staff, and at one point they cast about for questions. I was probably the only F1 fan in the room, and put my hand up. "Hi Mark, I read online that you're reading Frank Williams' autobiography at the moment. What chance you in a Williams next year?"He gave a cheerful non-answer. Later on I spoke to him 1 on 1 and he was a bit miffed. It was rubbish that he was reading that book. Remembering that since it occurs to me how uncomfortable that question must have been. He was in front of a room of lawyers and I was asking him to breach a confidentiality clause! That hadn't occurred to me at the time.
@@TheMobileChicane True, the curse does seem to have afflicted Webber, Ricciardo and Piastri so far (albeit probably too early to say it's a curse for Piastri): 2003 - Webber retired when a podium was on the cards 2004 - Webber retired 2005 - Webber jumped by DC at the first corner, if not then a podium was definitely on 2006 - Webber retired when leading, podium was definitely on 2007 - Webber qualified 7th, finished 13th 2008 - Webber had reliability problem in qual so only qualified 14th, then got taken out in the first lap 2009 - Webber from memory made a mistake in Q3, then got ploughed into by Barrichello at the first corner which put him a lap down the rest of the race 2010 - Webber should've won but Red Bull delaying pitting him a lap put him into the pack, eventually finished 9th after colliding into Hamilton 2011 - Webber started 3rd, finished 5th, foreshadowing his issues over the next 3 years with Pirelli tyres 2012 - Webber finished 4th, hounded Hamilton for 3rd, his closest to finishing on the podium in an Aussie GP he finished. Ricciardo in a Toro Rosso nipped 9th on the last lap 2013 - Webber slipped back form 2nd to finish 6th, Ricciardo retired with an exhaust issue 2014 - Ricciardo finished 2nd, disqualified for fuel flow breach 2015 - Ricciardo finished 6th behind a Sauber, terrible race and foreshadowing Red Bull's horrible 2015 2016 - Ricciardo finished 4th, may have challenged for a podium if his quali had been better (albeit this was the infamous knockout format that only lasted one more race) 2017 - Ricciardo made an error in quali, then a reliability problem meant he started the GP one lap down before retiring 2018 - Ricciardo finished 4th, hounding Raikkonen for a podium, similar to Webber in 2012. 2019 - Ricciardo destroyed his front wing on lap one, retired later 2022 - Ricciardo finished 6th, was actually one of his better drives that season 2023 - Piastri finished 8th after qualifying 16th 2024 - Piastri finished a distant 4th, Ricciardo finished 12th
There was a bit of a 'mozz' at Red Bull. When an aussie is their faster driver on track, suddenly the multiple championship winning team forgets how to do things like, change tyres, or fit legal fuel filters. superior down under pheromones must make people feel threatened enough they start fumbling around... thats my story and im sticking to it. REDNECKOGNISE!
I must admit, I remember both Maldo’s win in 2012 and JPM’s win in 04 AND the wait in-between as my favourite team on the grid went backwards… it was “8 long years.” But gosh, I did not imagine that I would live through another 12 years since a win for Williams 😢
Likewise. I think the biggest pain is there were opportunities to win races since, I’m thinking of the Martini years, but possible wins were squandered for safe podiums then.
Thing is my most disappointing moment from him was one that was so head slappingly aussie it was incredible. So dont remember who or where this was - two backmarkers fighting and holding mark webber up. he has a habit of getting road rage. so as an aussie who has driven many years around the f'ing morons on australian roads, if you see two f'wits in front of you on the freeway messing around with each other drag racing and weaving around.... what do you, as a young aussie lad.... NOT do? Well you dont do what Mark Webber did, get angry, wait until they seperate, then try and drive straight up the middle of the d'heads. It always ends the same way. With neither of the idiots seeing you, and one or both turning in on you without looking first. Guess why Mark Webber didnt finish *THAT* race. Go one. Have a go. Webber was his own biggest enemy most of the time. I will say tho, years of being disappointed at Webber and Red Bull certainly softened the blow when RBR then went and screwed the Honeybadger as well.
Phenomenal Video. You gotta feel for Mark, but he never did iron out those errors. You mention 2010 Korea and that’s such a good encapsulation of his career. He was just a step away from true greatness.
Cheers Angus! If you were putting every driver into a tier list: Mark’s definitely one I’d be putting into ‘B’. Very good, very fast, but just missing that edge that nudges a few others in front.
yeah that race killed me. i love mark webber. in an interview, he said alonso would race and have so much capacity leftover. he explained himself like a duck. looked ok from the surface but feet wre scrambling under the water to stay afloat.
What's interesting is Webber himself felt he was at the peak as an F1 driver around this time at Williams (2006). Just a shame he wasn't in a great car. I think I read he acknowledged he was well past his peak when he was lucky enough to be recruited by Red Bull when they were improving to the point they could contend for championships. And as we saw he was eventually dominated by a much younger teammate.
Very unfair assessment to say that Webber was “dominated” by a younger teammate. We all know that Red Bull never allow the second car to compete with car 1. If anything, Webber has been the most successful Red Bull second driver in the team’s history.
Love the videos chicane! Well researched. You’ve covered a part of his career in this video and the BMW video, but is there a chance we could see a video about ‘The No-Win Name of Nick Heidfeld’ in the future? Quick Nick is one of most underrated drivers in my opinion, and it would be interesting to see a deeper dive into his F1 career and how he was never quite in the right place at the right time.
Absolutely there’s a chance. I always rated Quick Nick, and like I said in the video, was disappointed he was only at Williams for the one year. Keep your eyes peeled for it in the future 😉
Heidfeld is often dismissed as a journeyman and yet his stats when compared to highly rated team mates he had are actually quite remarkable. I even remember his last season when he was at Renault when he was leading the team well and comfortably ahead of team mate Vitaly Petrov before being bizarrely sacked and replaced by Bruno Senna
Everytime this channel uploads, I stop whatever I'm doing to watch it. Some of the best racing content in the platform. Keep the good work man 👏 PS: As a video idea, I would love to see a video from this channel about Alonso's stint at McLaren, both of them. Or, Jacques Villeneuve post-championship F1 career. I think it would be great. Thank you
Thanks! Both of those ideas are on my list - the Villeneuve one even got to a research stage but I ran out of steam there. Might dig it up one day and see what I can do with it.
When i saw the length of this video, I just assumed it would be a biographical documentary covering Webber's life and entire F1 career. This was so packed with information that it broadly makes F1 as a whole seem so much bigger than I remember it.
19:56 the only mention of bmw moving on in the season review was in a throwaway line at the Hungarian gp when Massa retired and also in China when they’re rounding off which teams were saying goodbye
The image of monaco 06 when he steps out and looks angerly at his car, will forever be printed in my mind. History taught us that he wouldn't be a legendary driver but the vibe back then was indeed that webber was championship material. Up untill 2010 korea😅
At the start of the year, absolutely. Definitely behind Renault and Ferrari, but ahead of McLaren and Honda. You can argue they had the 3rd fastest car of 2012 too, but one wasted not by reliability that time, but by a weak driver lineup.
Absolutely adore your work man. I am a lifelong William's sufferer since 86 and I remember each and every one of these races. That Monaco 06 one, that still hurts today....so does Oz 09 actually for some reason, car was blisteringly fast all weekend.
@@TheMobileChicane Got to ask, what era do you remember the fondest? Even though they didn't win a title, I still yearn for the BMW William's days a couple of years in 01 to say 03. The cars looked and sounded so amazing.
Your channel is a treasure. I hope me repeating this comment every video premiere doesn't become tiring to you! I vividly remember Marks exploits in the Jaguar as a kid (front row start at Malaysia 2004, etc), and being really excited for him to join Williams. I was sure (though, in retrospect, perhaps blindly hopeful) that he would compete for wins and bring them back to the front. I also really hope this isn't the last we hear of Mr. Bertrand Baguette. I mean, you can't just spring that on us & not expect us to want more of him!
I’ll never get tired of hearing it - my ego always needs stroking! 😅 but in all seriousness, thank you. As a Williams fan I’m sure I felt the same - possibly as excited as I am now about Sainz joining! I’m not sure even I could dig out a video essay on Bertrand Baguette - that entry in the 2010 guide was the closest he ever came to F1!
bro cooked 🔥 seriously tho you making f1 videos like no one else, very interesting from the beggining to the end. hopefully someday there's gonna be video about toyota and their misadventures, its gonna be "absolute cinema" level stuff. thanks for research and for the video!
Much like the rest of your avid fans here, I thank you for these deep dives. I got into F1 in 2011 so my context into Williams’ downfall was painted in broad strokes only. You took two years, took a magnifying glass and fine tooth comb, added a dash of Mark Webber and painted a masterpiece. Love the essay!
Maybe it’s just my opinion, but this video underlies a theme of how brutal Formula 1 is: how one bad career stint can stop a driver from reaching his full potential in the future. Mark was brilliant at times, such as in 2010 and 2006, but I feel like he always missed that little extra intangible thingy thing one needs to be a champion. Maybe it’s just something you have or you don’t, or it’s something you earn and iron out when you go to the right place, one that doesn’t have as much ego and infighting as Williams at the time. Either way, brilliant work once again! This really made me reflect on how many potential champions missed out by making one mistake. Can’t wait to see what you got next for us!
I'd say it's more of something you iron out in the right place and unfortunately Mark wasn't at the right place during his peak years. I can only imagine what an almighty intra team battle it would have been between him and Fernando; Mark would have had the measure of Fernando on Saturdays but Sundays may have been a totally different story given Fernando sheer consistency and brilliance-almost Schumi like in fact.
Pizzonia was Williams first choice over Heidfeld...no wonder they were starting to struggle. Heidfeld's career stats have always been an interesting one - no race wins, but on paper looking at points totals and qualifying performances more often than not he outperformed very highly rated team mates
Always rated Heidfeld, one of the more consistent and reliable performers on the grid. A shame he never got the win he deserved. Don’t forget that Pizzonia had just had an impressive stint replacing Schumacher in 2004, which had rebuilt the reputation he’d lost in 2003. Williams and Head always rated him.
It did really feel like Williams lacked stability during these times considering that rocky relationship with BMW and the lack of funding that lead to in 2006 and Webber was at the cross roads of this. I also wonder if his Williams venture stunted his growth as a driver considering the large amount of success he would find with Red Bull afterwards. I could see that being the case since it didn't sound like the environment at Williams was that good so I can see that being a potential distraction for your driver. At least this led to Webber's stint with Red Bull where he was able to finally show his potential and more success is to come with managing Piastri.
Stability problems ? YES , Williams like all F1 privater teams live engine manufacturer to engine manufacturer ( look at all the successful teams over the years that have come and gone ) The Williams decline was inevitable ( McLaren had a close relationship with there engine partner Mercedes for years and once that finished there downfall began ) Once a F1 team loses their works engine manufacturer they also lose there car company funding and its harder to attract big sponsorships to a team that doesn't have a works team status because history shows they will struggle. BMW just stopped Williams decline for a few more years and gave there fans hope ( once Renault left they immediately stopped being a competitive team ) This is the business model of a F1 privater team ( if they dont have a car company to partner with and any big sponsors they quickly become uncompetitive) Car companies dont need privater F1 teams but F1 teams need car companies ( if Williams didnt have Renault or a works engine partner in the 1990's there decline would of happened then )
The greatest thing to have happened to Williams is BMW not buying them. If they had they'd have dropped them like a hot steak bake from Greggs a few years later. At that point where would they have gone? Someone would've bought them of course, but would they have been any good?
Completely agree. Just look at how BMW Sauber did and it would’ve been short term gain, long term pain when BMW pulled out in 2009. Peter Sauber stepped in then, I don’t know if Sir Frank would’ve done the same.
@@TheMobileChicane Knowing Frank he probably would of sold Williams to BMW for a nice sum then brought Williams back off BMW for 1/3 of the price he sold it to them for 😆 😂
As you touched upon right at the end, Webber wasn't on Alonso's level. He chose Williams because his hubris demanded he be the number one driver, regardless of whether it meant being in a inferior car.
I might be misremembering from my research on this and the Raikkonen video: but I believe all 3 were on dofferent strategies, with each stopping later than the one before, so it could’ve been a really close finish!
Great video mr chicane!. Its definitely weird how Williams 2000's tenure went. They often had great personell but could never string much together, only flashes of Brilliance. I do like Sam Michael and cos design ethos, as those cars looked sleek during that timeframe, and could be quick when they wanted too. 2006 is the poor mans 2009 in my eyes, as the car was arguably more sound than the two cars previous added with the diffuser and a weapon over 1 lap, shame Nico couldn't really maxmizie the most out of it as he was probably still homing his fine craft, hindsight is an excellent thing. Makes me think also what went horribly wrong between 2010 & 2011 then 2012 & 2013 another steep drop off after relative stability.
Funny thing is Mark Webber poor starts carried on at Red Bull he was always too much on the rev limiter so I don’t think the Williams was to blame when ever he qualified well it was just Mark himself
That bit on the 2010 edition made me chuckle. I never knew that Jonathan Summerton or Bertrand Baguette had been linked to F1 (the fact that US F1 were even in the guide at all is mad in hindsight considering that they never got off the ground). To be fair to the guide, the Heidfeld/Kobayashi combo came true at Sauber later that season. As for Mark Webber at Williams, it seems a case of right place but definitely the wrong time. The tension between the team and BMW can't have helped, and 2006 was just unreliability central. Though Webber didn't necessarily help himself with various mistakes.
Honestly it would be quicker to list who wasn’t linked to Renault and USF1 in 2010 😅 despite the disaster that USF1 would prove to be, they were in every preview guide I own ahead of that year, so that was still a very faint hope they’d make it!
No one expected minardi to do some in 02. Jaguar nothing more. The early RB before 09 mid and a fun Team. Williams on the other Hand. A Race Winner in 04 and Champ contender in 03 so everything was expected. But 05 signed the beginning of the decline
Dear Mobile Chicane I been watching Formula 1 since early 1980’s, In my entire time watching no other driver have sparked more “ wtf happened ?! “ than Stoffel Vandoorne, could you consider making a video about this puzzling driver ? Thank you for the great content !
@@TheMobileChicane I actually quite like that, and really does suit his journey (or lack of) it's so puzzling if one look to what he was before F1, in F1 and what was left after F1. I hardly ever get behind hyping drivers since my ultimate disappoinment with " Cristiano da Matta " ALSO a fantastic candidate btw lol So I figure, maybe you could find some sense with Stoffel's stumble haha, looking forward mate, cheers!
Great one mate. Thing is in that Alonso, Raikkonen debate. It's strange Button isn't mentioned especially after his 2003 and Verstappen 2020-like 2004. On the topic of BAR. Despite this being probably one of the most requested or wanted videos to do. I think Villeneuve BAR stint is worth exploring. But not for BAR's failing, but for why In a couple years Villeneuve went from carrying BAR to podiums to being destroyed by "Pretty boy" Button then replaced with Sato before the season ended. Besides Villeneuve is such a polarizing figure. I feel like not making a video on him is a waste
BAR would be a great topic to tackle - from so many angles. Jacques Villeneuve’s time there. Jenson Button’s breakthrough 2004. Or just the whole debacle of 1999!
I always liked Webber and it was sad to watch a great driver and a great team sink so far down the standings. The convergence of a dreadful aero package, a woefully unreliable engine and a horrible list of errors dropped him entirely out of contention.
Even if his Williams tenure was a disaster from start to finish it atleast showed a glimpse of competitiveness/potential which gives it the upper hand in comparison to other ill fated combinations like Mclaren-Honda
Good question. I did a deep dive into the stats that year of his, Heidfeld and Pizzonia’s starts, and all were routinely losing as many places as the other. So for me, it comes down to a fault with the BMW.
Williams haven't been a top team since 03. Had Mark gone to Renault and got destroyed by Alonso, that might've made Red Bull swerve him. So weirdly, going to an ailing Williams was the best move
Webber has used up a lot of his lives in some hellacious wrecks that would have been fatal a few decades ago. Likeable guy, fast when he is in on it but missing making the elite tier.
It was similiar at Jaguar. He would drag a very uncompetitive car into spots on the grid that it had no right to be. Then slip back as the the car ate its own tyres or fell off in some other ways. You can drag a car around by the scruff of the neck for one or a handful of laps but when you try to drive a crappy car around at the ragged edge for a whole race, you are going to make mistakes. Unless the thing blows up or breaks down first due to unreliability. He wasted 4 years at Jaguar and Williams and by the time Red Bull hit its straps he was past his absolute best. I Still absolutely love Webber though. Griity, hardnosed and no bullshit driver.
In his defence, those Jaguar cars were very good at warming tyres - hence the ability to string out one lap pace. But that also meant heavy degradation too, resulting in those regular drops back down the order.
Watching Williams win a race now... well would be kind of similar to watching a 'Queen' concert now. Only pretty much without anyone recognisable. Even Claire Williams is long gone at this point. That being said, was a Williams guy from Mansell until the red horror that was the Winnie Reds machine (lord knows why, every aussie kid bought winnie BLUES from the milk bar around the corner from high school to the point its a cultural meme... or was) so when Mclaren picked up Danny Ric i tentatively switched across from a decade and a half of disappointment with RBR... and then 2024 happened. McLaren is back at least and its awesome. Id love to see Williams bounce back but it seems theyre headed down the path of March Brabham Lotus.
Another maybe forgotten driver/team combo is Jensen Button and Renault. Don't know if it would make for an in-depth video like this. But I don't know all too much about his time there and completely forgot he drove for them until I was watching an old race from Hungary 2002 I believe@@TheMobileChicane
Even If Webber had signed for Renault , he would of played 2nd fiddle 🎻 to Alonso, but he would of got his 1st win a lot earlier. Tyres having to last a entire race was brought in to try curb the Ferrari & Schumacher dominance that was becoming predictable = less intrest in F1 =less viewers = less $$$ for tv rights etc.
Very true, but I think he would’ve been a lot closer in one lap pace than Fisichella was, though similar mistakes like he made at Williams would’ve been much more costly.
Yeah the Williams-Webber era was a disaster but as Minardi, Jaguar and Red Bull showed… He wasn’t bad for a number 2 driver. On a serious note. Love the vid
An hour long video about a career stint that lasted only 2 years? This should be a treat.
EDIT after watching: Damn right it is. I remember seriously getting into F1 in 2006 after watching a bit in 2005, it's wild to flash back and realize just how much misfortune of Webber that I didn't notice at the time. Though it is funny to learn that even back then, there was always a factor behind his notoriously poor starts, just like in a good portion of his Red Bull days.
Mansell’s stint at McLaren lasted only two races and there was still so much to much to talk about.
Likewise. Even as a Williams fan, I was transfixed by the title duels we got both years and it was easy to miss subplots like Webber and Williams. Thanks for the support!
Honestly it was such a dreary time most fans probably even forgot he drove for Williams for 2 seasons.
Great essay. Mark visited my workplace - an Australian law firm - back in 2004. There was a weird little event where he was introduced to all the staff, and at one point they cast about for questions. I was probably the only F1 fan in the room, and put my hand up. "Hi Mark, I read online that you're reading Frank Williams' autobiography at the moment. What chance you in a Williams next year?"He gave a cheerful non-answer. Later on I spoke to him 1 on 1 and he was a bit miffed. It was rubbish that he was reading that book.
Remembering that since it occurs to me how uncomfortable that question must have been. He was in front of a room of lawyers and I was asking him to breach a confidentiality clause! That hadn't occurred to me at the time.
I feel like the F1 gods punished Mark for getting up on the podium at Melbourne in 2002, for he wouldn't stand on the podium at Melbourne ever again
Twice an Australian has stood on their home Grand Prix podium (2002, 2014) and neither have actually counted. That’s crazy!
@@TheMobileChicane I’m smelling a bad omen for 2026 for either Piastri or Doohan unfortunately
@@TheMobileChicane True, the curse does seem to have afflicted Webber, Ricciardo and Piastri so far (albeit probably too early to say it's a curse for Piastri):
2003 - Webber retired when a podium was on the cards
2004 - Webber retired
2005 - Webber jumped by DC at the first corner, if not then a podium was definitely on
2006 - Webber retired when leading, podium was definitely on
2007 - Webber qualified 7th, finished 13th
2008 - Webber had reliability problem in qual so only qualified 14th, then got taken out in the first lap
2009 - Webber from memory made a mistake in Q3, then got ploughed into by Barrichello at the first corner which put him a lap down the rest of the race
2010 - Webber should've won but Red Bull delaying pitting him a lap put him into the pack, eventually finished 9th after colliding into Hamilton
2011 - Webber started 3rd, finished 5th, foreshadowing his issues over the next 3 years with Pirelli tyres
2012 - Webber finished 4th, hounded Hamilton for 3rd, his closest to finishing on the podium in an Aussie GP he finished. Ricciardo in a Toro Rosso nipped 9th on the last lap
2013 - Webber slipped back form 2nd to finish 6th, Ricciardo retired with an exhaust issue
2014 - Ricciardo finished 2nd, disqualified for fuel flow breach
2015 - Ricciardo finished 6th behind a Sauber, terrible race and foreshadowing Red Bull's horrible 2015
2016 - Ricciardo finished 4th, may have challenged for a podium if his quali had been better (albeit this was the infamous knockout format that only lasted one more race)
2017 - Ricciardo made an error in quali, then a reliability problem meant he started the GP one lap down before retiring
2018 - Ricciardo finished 4th, hounding Raikkonen for a podium, similar to Webber in 2012.
2019 - Ricciardo destroyed his front wing on lap one, retired later
2022 - Ricciardo finished 6th, was actually one of his better drives that season
2023 - Piastri finished 8th after qualifying 16th
2024 - Piastri finished a distant 4th, Ricciardo finished 12th
Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing 😂, great vid!
There was a bit of a 'mozz' at Red Bull.
When an aussie is their faster driver on track, suddenly the multiple championship winning team forgets how to do things like, change tyres, or fit legal fuel filters. superior down under pheromones must make people feel threatened enough they start fumbling around... thats my story and im sticking to it. REDNECKOGNISE!
I must admit, I remember both Maldo’s win in 2012 and JPM’s win in 04 AND the wait in-between as my favourite team on the grid went backwards… it was “8 long years.” But gosh, I did not imagine that I would live through another 12 years since a win for Williams 😢
Likewise. I think the biggest pain is there were opportunities to win races since, I’m thinking of the Martini years, but possible wins were squandered for safe podiums then.
@@TheMobileChicanethere was that front row lockout, right? They completely threw away that race
Your channel is amazing. Love these long form documentaries on relatively obscure aspects of F1.
Thank you!
So many races in Webber's career can be summed up with " if only he hadn't botched the start"
tbh Lando is getting like that ..... 😬
@KingofWolves3277 Wouldn't surprise me if Norris' career plays out to be a nearly man like Webber was.
Thing is my most disappointing moment from him was one that was so head slappingly aussie it was incredible.
So dont remember who or where this was - two backmarkers fighting and holding mark webber up. he has a habit of getting road rage. so as an aussie who has driven many years around the f'ing morons on australian roads, if you see two f'wits in front of you on the freeway messing around with each other drag racing and weaving around.... what do you, as a young aussie lad.... NOT do?
Well you dont do what Mark Webber did, get angry, wait until they seperate, then try and drive straight up the middle of the d'heads. It always ends the same way. With neither of the idiots seeing you, and one or both turning in on you without looking first.
Guess why Mark Webber didnt finish *THAT* race. Go one. Have a go.
Webber was his own biggest enemy most of the time.
I will say tho, years of being disappointed at Webber and Red Bull certainly softened the blow when RBR then went and screwed the Honeybadger as well.
Alternate (and also very fitting) title: The wonderful works of the Mobile Chicane. Again, absolutely awesome content, as always.
Thank you very much!
Phenomenal Video. You gotta feel for Mark, but he never did iron out those errors. You mention 2010 Korea and that’s such a good encapsulation of his career. He was just a step away from true greatness.
Cheers Angus! If you were putting every driver into a tier list: Mark’s definitely one I’d be putting into ‘B’. Very good, very fast, but just missing that edge that nudges a few others in front.
@@TheMobileChicane I completely agree.
yeah that race killed me. i love mark webber. in an interview, he said alonso would race and have so much capacity leftover. he explained himself like a duck. looked ok from the surface but feet wre scrambling under the water to stay afloat.
What's interesting is Webber himself felt he was at the peak as an F1 driver around this time at Williams (2006). Just a shame he wasn't in a great car. I think I read he acknowledged he was well past his peak when he was lucky enough to be recruited by Red Bull when they were improving to the point they could contend for championships. And as we saw he was eventually dominated by a much younger teammate.
Pirelli finished his career tbh, he was on the pace in 2009 and took the 2010 title to the final race
@@Duval-In-The-Wall When did Pirelli take over?
@@mikespearwood3914
2011
Marked decline in performances
Very unfair assessment to say that Webber was “dominated” by a younger teammate. We all know that Red Bull never allow the second car to compete with car 1. If anything, Webber has been the most successful Red Bull second driver in the team’s history.
@@Duval-In-The-Wallhis “declined”performances put him in 3rd places in 2011 and 2013
Finally the Webber VIDEOooooooooo
Great watch, awesome work!
Love the videos chicane! Well researched. You’ve covered a part of his career in this video and the BMW video, but is there a chance we could see a video about ‘The No-Win Name of Nick Heidfeld’ in the future? Quick Nick is one of most underrated drivers in my opinion, and it would be interesting to see a deeper dive into his F1 career and how he was never quite in the right place at the right time.
Absolutely there’s a chance. I always rated Quick Nick, and like I said in the video, was disappointed he was only at Williams for the one year. Keep your eyes peeled for it in the future 😉
@@TheMobileChicane Awesome, look forward to it! Again, love your videos!
Heidfeld is often dismissed as a journeyman and yet his stats when compared to highly rated team mates he had are actually quite remarkable. I even remember his last season when he was at Renault when he was leading the team well and comfortably ahead of team mate Vitaly Petrov before being bizarrely sacked and replaced by Bruno Senna
Everytime this channel uploads, I stop whatever I'm doing to watch it. Some of the best racing content in the platform. Keep the good work man 👏
PS: As a video idea, I would love to see a video from this channel about Alonso's stint at McLaren, both of them. Or, Jacques Villeneuve post-championship F1 career. I think it would be great. Thank you
Thanks! Both of those ideas are on my list - the Villeneuve one even got to a research stage but I ran out of steam there. Might dig it up one day and see what I can do with it.
@@TheMobileChicane Glad to hear it. Based on what I've seen from your channel, I'm sure it would be excellent
Some of the best F1 content right here. Watching every video
this video is actually amazing how does this guy not have, like, 50k subs??
The consistency and quality of this channel never ceases to impress. Thank you for the fantastic work!
When i saw the length of this video, I just assumed it would be a biographical documentary covering Webber's life and entire F1 career.
This was so packed with information that it broadly makes F1 as a whole seem so much bigger than I remember it.
19:56 the only mention of bmw moving on in the season review was in a throwaway line at the Hungarian gp when Massa retired and also in China when they’re rounding off which teams were saying goodbye
The image of monaco 06 when he steps out and looks angerly at his car, will forever be printed in my mind. History taught us that he wouldn't be a legendary driver but the vibe back then was indeed that webber was championship material. Up untill 2010 korea😅
Hello Chicane, brilliant video as always, love your channel 😊😁
This channel should have way more subs and views. This high quality back log of videos will stand to you keep it up!
Thanks - I sure hope so!
I would say that when the 2006 Williams was working fully, it could easily be 3rd or 4th fastest, but relaibility was awful for them
At the start of the year, absolutely. Definitely behind Renault and Ferrari, but ahead of McLaren and Honda.
You can argue they had the 3rd fastest car of 2012 too, but one wasted not by reliability that time, but by a weak driver lineup.
Absolutely adore your work man. I am a lifelong William's sufferer since 86 and I remember each and every one of these races. That Monaco 06 one, that still hurts today....so does Oz 09 actually for some reason, car was blisteringly fast all weekend.
Thanks so much, glad to see another member of the Williams Sufferers Group 😅
@@TheMobileChicane Got to ask, what era do you remember the fondest? Even though they didn't win a title, I still yearn for the BMW William's days a couple of years in 01 to say 03. The cars looked and sounded so amazing.
Loved the video. Can't believe you didn't slip in a sly reference to Brittney being in the wall though!
Your channel is a treasure. I hope me repeating this comment every video premiere doesn't become tiring to you! I vividly remember Marks exploits in the Jaguar as a kid (front row start at Malaysia 2004, etc), and being really excited for him to join Williams. I was sure (though, in retrospect, perhaps blindly hopeful) that he would compete for wins and bring them back to the front. I also really hope this isn't the last we hear of Mr. Bertrand Baguette. I mean, you can't just spring that on us & not expect us to want more of him!
I’ll never get tired of hearing it - my ego always needs stroking! 😅 but in all seriousness, thank you.
As a Williams fan I’m sure I felt the same - possibly as excited as I am now about Sainz joining!
I’m not sure even I could dig out a video essay on Bertrand Baguette - that entry in the 2010 guide was the closest he ever came to F1!
bro cooked 🔥 seriously tho you making f1 videos like no one else, very interesting from the beggining to the end. hopefully someday there's gonna be video about toyota and their misadventures, its gonna be "absolute cinema" level stuff. thanks for research and for the video!
Thanks! I’m debating saving “The Turmoils of Toyota” for a 25k special.. if only because I feel like it could be over 2 hours long!
@@TheMobileChicane personally i prefer to see it early, but of course i will not mind to wait 🙂
The GOAT is back ❤
Much like the rest of your avid fans here, I thank you for these deep dives. I got into F1 in 2011 so my context into Williams’ downfall was painted in broad strokes only. You took two years, took a magnifying glass and fine tooth comb, added a dash of Mark Webber and painted a masterpiece.
Love the essay!
What a wonderfully written comment, you’ll be putting me out of a job soon! Thanks for the support.
@@TheMobileChicane NEVER!
thank god his second stint at milton keynes team was enough to bounce back
What a video. Love the topic chosen. Webber was a quality driver let down by Williams and BMW
Can’t believe this will be 20 years ago in a couple of months. I remember watching all these races back home. Good memories :)
Your videos are awesome please keep up the good work
Maybe it’s just my opinion, but this video underlies a theme of how brutal Formula 1 is: how one bad career stint can stop a driver from reaching his full potential in the future.
Mark was brilliant at times, such as in 2010 and 2006, but I feel like he always missed that little extra intangible thingy thing one needs to be a champion. Maybe it’s just something you have or you don’t, or it’s something you earn and iron out when you go to the right place, one that doesn’t have as much ego and infighting as Williams at the time.
Either way, brilliant work once again! This really made me reflect on how many potential champions missed out by making one mistake. Can’t wait to see what you got next for us!
I'd say it's more of something you iron out in the right place and unfortunately Mark wasn't at the right place during his peak years. I can only imagine what an almighty intra team battle it would have been between him and Fernando; Mark would have had the measure of Fernando on Saturdays but Sundays may have been a totally different story given Fernando sheer consistency and brilliance-almost Schumi like in fact.
Peak Mark Webber would win 2010 imo
Pizzonia was Williams first choice over Heidfeld...no wonder they were starting to struggle. Heidfeld's career stats have always been an interesting one - no race wins, but on paper looking at points totals and qualifying performances more often than not he outperformed very highly rated team mates
Always rated Heidfeld, one of the more consistent and reliable performers on the grid. A shame he never got the win he deserved.
Don’t forget that Pizzonia had just had an impressive stint replacing Schumacher in 2004, which had rebuilt the reputation he’d lost in 2003. Williams and Head always rated him.
It did really feel like Williams lacked stability during these times considering that rocky relationship with BMW and the lack of funding that lead to in 2006 and Webber was at the cross roads of this. I also wonder if his Williams venture stunted his growth as a driver considering the large amount of success he would find with Red Bull afterwards. I could see that being the case since it didn't sound like the environment at Williams was that good so I can see that being a potential distraction for your driver. At least this led to Webber's stint with Red Bull where he was able to finally show his potential and more success is to come with managing Piastri.
Stability problems ? YES , Williams like all F1 privater teams live engine manufacturer to engine manufacturer ( look at all the successful teams over the years that have come and gone )
The Williams decline was inevitable ( McLaren had a close relationship with there engine partner Mercedes for years and once that finished there downfall began )
Once a F1 team loses their works engine manufacturer they also lose there car company funding and its harder to attract big sponsorships to a team that doesn't have a works team status because history shows they will struggle.
BMW just stopped Williams decline for a few more years and gave there fans hope ( once Renault left they immediately stopped being a competitive team )
This is the business model of a F1 privater team ( if they dont have a car company to partner with and any big sponsors they quickly become uncompetitive)
Car companies dont need privater F1 teams but F1 teams need car companies ( if Williams didnt have Renault or a works engine partner in the 1990's there decline would of happened then )
@@blackhornetf That is generally how it goes for all forms of motorsport and why a privateer rising to the top is always a great underdog story.
Amazing as usual! Thanks again for the work and for the vid!!!!!
The greatest thing to have happened to Williams is BMW not buying them. If they had they'd have dropped them like a hot steak bake from Greggs a few years later. At that point where would they have gone? Someone would've bought them of course, but would they have been any good?
Completely agree. Just look at how BMW Sauber did and it would’ve been short term gain, long term pain when BMW pulled out in 2009. Peter Sauber stepped in then, I don’t know if Sir Frank would’ve done the same.
@@TheMobileChicane Knowing Frank he probably would of sold Williams to BMW for a nice sum then brought Williams back off BMW for 1/3 of the price he sold it to them for 😆 😂
Watching this while doing a 13 hour shift, thank Christ i have this vid to pass some time on
What is your shift? Watching TH-cam for 13 hours
Really excellent channel mate . You clearly do your research and it's appreciated 👍🎉
Mark even wrote in his autobiography that he knows no one who had an easy time working at Williams. Glad they’re a finished organisation nowadays
Enjoyed every minute of this great video! Well done Chicane!
What a brilliant documentary 👍
0:14 I know that ain’t who I think it is!
When The Mobile chicane drops a video I will always be here!
First time discovering your content. Great video! Subscribed.
Welcome aboard!
First watch and an instant subscribe. Keep up the fantastic vids!
Thanks, and welcome to the channel!
Mark Webber & bad starts go hand in hand as is Fernando & brilliant starts
Always a good day when Mobile Chicane posts a video.
As you touched upon right at the end, Webber wasn't on Alonso's level. He chose Williams because his hubris demanded he be the number one driver, regardless of whether it meant being in a inferior car.
hell yeah brother
2003 still my favourite f1 season ever.
Even though Bertrand Baguette didn’t make it into F1 he has quite a successful career in Super GT winning the title in 2022
If you're wondering about a gap in F1 TH-cam well this is it.. Thank you and well done
13:45 - weird observation, but this feels eerily like listening to a rundown of Mercades' last few seasons.
Great video ❤
That Monaco 2006 race was a huge case of a what if for me.
I might be misremembering from my research on this and the Raikkonen video: but I believe all 3 were on dofferent strategies, with each stopping later than the one before, so it could’ve been a really close finish!
Great video mr chicane!.
Its definitely weird how Williams 2000's tenure went. They often had great personell but could never string much together, only flashes of Brilliance. I do like Sam Michael and cos design ethos, as those cars looked sleek during that timeframe, and could be quick when they wanted too.
2006 is the poor mans 2009 in my eyes, as the car was arguably more sound than the two cars previous added with the diffuser and a weapon over 1 lap, shame Nico couldn't really maxmizie the most out of it as he was probably still homing his fine craft, hindsight is an excellent thing.
Makes me think also what went horribly wrong between 2010 & 2011 then 2012 & 2013 another steep drop off after relative stability.
Williams at the hands of Mark Webber should've had at least 5 wins in total.
Funny thing is Mark Webber poor starts carried on at Red Bull he was always too much on the rev limiter so I don’t think the Williams was to blame when ever he qualified well it was just Mark himself
thank you.
Huge Webber Fan. The Renault move a big what if, but shit happens. More annoyed he didn't grab that final year with Ferrari as Alonsos #2.
That bit on the 2010 edition made me chuckle. I never knew that Jonathan Summerton or Bertrand Baguette had been linked to F1 (the fact that US F1 were even in the guide at all is mad in hindsight considering that they never got off the ground). To be fair to the guide, the Heidfeld/Kobayashi combo came true at Sauber later that season.
As for Mark Webber at Williams, it seems a case of right place but definitely the wrong time. The tension between the team and BMW can't have helped, and 2006 was just unreliability central. Though Webber didn't necessarily help himself with various mistakes.
Honestly it would be quicker to list who wasn’t linked to Renault and USF1 in 2010 😅 despite the disaster that USF1 would prove to be, they were in every preview guide I own ahead of that year, so that was still a very faint hope they’d make it!
2005 was so toxic, Webber vs Williams vs BMW
Brilliant video
Quality ❤
No one expected minardi to do some in 02. Jaguar nothing more.
The early RB before 09 mid and a fun Team.
Williams on the other Hand. A Race Winner in 04 and Champ contender in 03 so everything was expected. But 05 signed the beginning of the decline
Dear Mobile Chicane I been watching Formula 1 since early 1980’s,
In my entire time watching no other driver have sparked more “ wtf happened ?! “ than Stoffel Vandoorne, could you consider making a video about this puzzling driver ?
Thank you for the great content !
The Stumbling Steps of Stoffel Vandoorne? Absolutely I would!
@@TheMobileChicane I actually quite like that, and really does suit his journey (or lack of) it's so puzzling if one look to what he was before F1, in F1 and what was left after F1.
I hardly ever get behind hyping drivers since my ultimate disappoinment with " Cristiano da Matta " ALSO a fantastic candidate btw lol
So I figure, maybe you could find some sense with Stoffel's stumble haha, looking forward mate, cheers!
Great one mate. Thing is in that Alonso, Raikkonen debate. It's strange Button isn't mentioned especially after his 2003 and Verstappen 2020-like 2004.
On the topic of BAR. Despite this being probably one of the most requested or wanted videos to do. I think Villeneuve BAR stint is worth exploring. But not for BAR's failing, but for why In a couple years Villeneuve went from carrying BAR to podiums to being destroyed by "Pretty boy" Button then replaced with Sato before the season ended.
Besides Villeneuve is such a polarizing figure. I feel like not making a video on him is a waste
BAR would be a great topic to tackle - from so many angles. Jacques Villeneuve’s time there. Jenson Button’s breakthrough 2004. Or just the whole debacle of 1999!
@@TheMobileChicane "Eau Rouge gamble" might the dumbest thing ever done by F1 drivers. To think Villeneuve could've possibly had a McLaren seat
I always liked Webber and it was sad to watch a great driver and a great team sink so far down the standings. The convergence of a dreadful aero package, a woefully unreliable engine and a horrible list of errors dropped him entirely out of contention.
Even if his Williams tenure was a disaster from start to finish it atleast showed a glimpse of competitiveness/potential which gives it the upper hand in comparison to other ill fated combinations like Mclaren-Honda
And now i want a video of Villeneuves move to BAR from Williams
Basically had he had a better car earlier in his career thing could have gone very different and a lot better, it's an all too common tale nowadays
Hey Mobile Chicane, was Webber's poor starts, such as in season 2005 his fault or the car?
Good question. I did a deep dive into the stats that year of his, Heidfeld and Pizzonia’s starts, and all were routinely losing as many places as the other. So for me, it comes down to a fault with the BMW.
can confirm i'm the same with collecting the guides!
Shame Williams couldn't give him a faster more reliable car.
It is never Marks fault, isn't it. It was the same at Red Bull.
THANKS ❤
Williams haven't been a top team since 03. Had Mark gone to Renault and got destroyed by Alonso, that might've made Red Bull swerve him. So weirdly, going to an ailing Williams was the best move
Great vid as always. But I have to wonder, is your choice of topics entirely motivated by alliteration?
Ha, sadly not! The ideas come first, then many hours in the shower trying to think of the alliteration
I know when Vettel joined RB the team told Webber strait out he would be no 2 driver and their focus would be on Vettel
The Bruce Jones F1 books are annuals
2010 = 2009 vice versa
I like them
Webber has used up a lot of his lives in some hellacious wrecks that would have been fatal a few decades ago. Likeable guy, fast when he is in on it but missing making the elite tier.
A video on my #numberonedriver?? Can't wait...
Speaking of ricciardo, boy is a documentary about him going to be quite interesting and painful
The Renault Regrets.. the McLaren Misstep.. yeah I’m looking forward to tackling those topics later on!
It was similiar at Jaguar. He would drag a very uncompetitive car into spots on the grid that it had no right to be. Then slip back as the the car ate its own tyres or fell off in some other ways.
You can drag a car around by the scruff of the neck for one or a handful of laps but when you try to drive a crappy car around at the ragged edge for a whole race, you are going to make mistakes.
Unless the thing blows up or breaks down first due to unreliability.
He wasted 4 years at Jaguar and Williams and by the time Red Bull hit its straps he was past his absolute best.
I Still absolutely love Webber though. Griity, hardnosed and no bullshit driver.
In his defence, those Jaguar cars were very good at warming tyres - hence the ability to string out one lap pace. But that also meant heavy degradation too, resulting in those regular drops back down the order.
Watching Williams win a race now... well would be kind of similar to watching a 'Queen' concert now. Only pretty much without anyone recognisable. Even Claire Williams is long gone at this point.
That being said, was a Williams guy from Mansell until the red horror that was the Winnie Reds machine (lord knows why, every aussie kid bought winnie BLUES from the milk bar around the corner from high school to the point its a cultural meme... or was) so when Mclaren picked up Danny Ric i tentatively switched across from a decade and a half of disappointment with RBR... and then 2024 happened.
McLaren is back at least and its awesome. Id love to see Williams bounce back but it seems theyre headed down the path of March Brabham Lotus.
If I had a crystal ball, I'd sit on a cushion.
11 years in f1 and the guy never learned to do starts without dropping down the grid
You have to do Jarno Trulli, never got that guy
The Troubles of the Trulli Train.. could be interesting!
Wark Webber did a very good Job for Williams.
I completely forgot Webber went to Williams.
Kind of mad how toxic it was right away
Excellent as always
I don't know what is worse you thinking McLaren would win in 2015 or me still holding out hope Hulkenberg will get a podium before he retires
Ha! In my defence this wasn’t long after they turned around their 2009 car, and my naive younger self saw no reason they couldn’t just do that again!
Another maybe forgotten driver/team combo is Jensen Button and Renault. Don't know if it would make for an in-depth video like this. But I don't know all too much about his time there and completely forgot he drove for them until I was watching an old race from Hungary 2002 I believe@@TheMobileChicane
Yes Williams 2004 & 2005 BMW Engines were the most Powerful.
Even If Webber had signed for Renault , he would of played 2nd fiddle 🎻 to Alonso, but he would of got his 1st win a lot earlier.
Tyres having to last a entire race was brought in to try curb the Ferrari & Schumacher dominance that was becoming predictable = less intrest in F1 =less viewers = less $$$ for tv rights etc.
Very true, but I think he would’ve been a lot closer in one lap pace than Fisichella was, though similar mistakes like he made at Williams would’ve been much more costly.
Yeah the Williams-Webber era was a disaster but as Minardi, Jaguar and Red Bull showed… He wasn’t bad for a number 2 driver.
On a serious note. Love the vid
Ha! That’s gotta be one of the top 10 sound bites from F1 history. I remember laughing my head off when he first came on the radio to say that.
at least one thing that can't be considered a woe is being groomed by your manager 13 years your senior, not bad for a number two driver 😛
Mark Webber Best driver in 2010! Championship or not.
Very Powerful BMW Engine in 2005 but the car wasn't good enough lacked downforce 950 Horse Power the BMW Engine had in 2005.
He just wasn't good enough. Too many errors, not quick enough. He can't blame the car every time.
Thx