Mark Webber had to wait until his eighth F1 season to start to realise the potential he showed when he burst onto the scene with a surprise fifth-place finish in a sluggish Minardi in his debut grand prix in 2002.

His first two wins and a career-best fourth in the drivers' championship finally arrived in 2009 with Red Bull, ending years of frustration as F1's 'nearly man'. It seems like only recently Webber was a young gun who was the talk of the infield, drawing comparison with some of the greats. Given the season has almost always opened with Webber's home race in Melbourne, hype has always surrounded his chances of pushing for end of year honours.

Now one of the elder statesmen of the sport, Webber has belatedly started to turn sheer potential and determination into podiums and race wins with the fastest and most reliable car he has driven.

Webber had long been referred to as the unluckiest driver in the sport - it seems mechanical failures, accidents and other incidents have followed him wherever he has gone, holding him back from greater triumphs.

Although that curse has dissipated somewhat in recent years, the former Minardi, Jaguar and Williams driver still hasn't quite found the consistency required to mount a serious championship challenge. With Webber re-signed for arguably one of the top teams in the paddock for 2010 - Red Bull - he stands his strongest chance yet of delivering a championship winning performance.

Strengths and Weaknesses
Although highly regarded among his peers in the sport, Webber has failed to live up to his early promise. However, despite only achieving limited success, he has remained determined and focused on his race craft. He is a strong qualifier who has a history of getting good performances out of weaker cars despite being constantly let down by his race form.

Career High
After waiting over seven years and 130 races, Webber finally scored his first race victory at the German Grand Prix in 2009.

Career Low
While leading his home race in 2006, a gearbox problem forced Webber to retire. His Williams finished just seven times out of 18 starts that season.

Quotes
"It's an incredible day. I wanted to win so badly after Silverstone as I thought I had a good chance there, then after yesterday's pole, I knew I was in a good position to try and win the race today. It's just an incredible day for all the people who have helped me to get to where I am today." Mark Webber after his first race win, July 2009

"If you have that kind of absolute dedication ... and there's only one driver other than Michael Schumacher out there that lives, breathes, sleeps, eats Formula One 110% - and that's Mark Webber," Paul Stoddart, 2005

Trivia
In 2006, Webber was officially appointed as the number one ticket holder of the Canberra Raiders, an Australian rugby league team. He worked as a ball-boy for the Raiders during the late 1980s.

Brett Taylor November 2009