Mark Webber (1) (1976–)

Webber was a workmanlike driver with considerable talent, and though not on the level of Fernando Alonso, with whom he raced against, or even the up and coming Sebastian Vettel, with whom he raced with, he is miles ahead of fellow countryman Ricardo in my opinion. But Webber raced in an era when Schumacher was still around as he came up, and then Alonso and Hamilton and Button and Vettel, and a slew of great drivers, so his achievements take on much greater import.

Inconsistency is a knock on show more Webber, but in the crappy world of Red Bull, where he had his greatest success, a lot of that, as anyone who understands Formula One and follows it knows, can definitely be attributed to the handicap under which Webber found himself due to Marko’s favoritism and the fractured internal politics/power structure of that team.

I had high hopes for this autobiography when I began reading. But the more I read the more convinced I was that I was going to get no more than a superficial look at what transpired, and little insight or depth. This autobiography is not bad, as it’s a nice look at a good bloke’s racing career, with a few asides for his personal life, including the nice woman who helped guide his career and push it forward whom he came to love, despite an age gap that for a time — he was pretty young — caused him to step away from it due to his parents’ objections.

To me it was maddening that I couldn’t feel Webber’s anger or passion about some of the chicanery at Red Bull especially. Webber bends over backwards to be pragmatic, to come off as the good bloke he is, but the more I read, the more maddening that became. There is almost a hero-worship aspect to his relationship with Schumacher; so much so, that even when the entire paddock — not to mention racing fans — were justifiably disgusted with him, could see from his actions and statements how he was, Webber tries to soften Schumacher’s actions. The same with Vettel, who was like a talented spoiled brat already acting like Schumacher even before he’d accomplished anything, and having the luxury of Marko’s coddling to protect him from reality.

But that’s part of the problem with this memoir or autobiography; the reader and fan of the sport shouldn’t be more disgusted and upset about the events and circumstances than the writer, the man who lived through it. I’m not even a super-fan of Webber; Senna and then Alonso were/are my guys, and the greatest two drivers I’ve ever witnessed. Even being a neutral but interested party, I find Webber’s matter-of-fact approach, and his unwillingness to call a spade a spade, or a jerk a jerk, irritating.

In addition to lack of real insight or any measurable depth, Webber makes Aussie Grit a highly readable yet very superficial look at the man, his career, and the ugly side of F1. Aussie Grit doesn’t give me any better understanding of events than I already had — probably less, actually — but worse, it doesn’t add flesh to the bones of Webber himself. I came away from this book thinking Webber’s a gook bloke, a nice guy who was a racer through and through, a guy who accomplished a lot in his career but should have accomplished more; Webber might even have one world title had circumstances been less stacked against him by Marko. But I already knew all that.

I really believe the problem with this autobiography is two-fold: first, Webber is a good bloke, a nice guy; second, this was written while his career was still ongoing, even though he’d switched series and was no longer in F1 — by his own choice. Maybe part of Webber’s personality as a good guy — and he is — kept him from being more brutally honest about some of these folks — he instead makes excuses for them. But I couldn’t help wonder if another part that makes this book unmemorable is that at the time of his writing it, there were bridges he did not wish to burn.

A good bloke, not a bad read by any means, but for real fans, disappointing. If you like Webber and want to know more about his life and his racing career as a highlight reel, this isn’t bad. Others may want to pass on it, because that’s what it is — a highlight reel. show less

OK, it's a book for fans, but that's me. If you're not into Formula 1 motor racing, maybe you'll be bored by the stats and all the detail about cars, teams and personalities you don't know. But, for anyone who has followed Mark's career and shared in the highs and lows, the glories and the MANY frustrations, this book is a necessary rounding out of understanding. Mark fills in the details of team dynamics in ways that confirms what most of us suspected all along. The hurdles over which he show more was required to jump often had little to do with motor racing itself.
Like most sports books, it's not high literature, but Mark with ghostwriter Stuart Sykes, does a good job of telling the story from many points of view and the pace is maintained right to the end. Thankfully, that's not the end of Mark!
By the way, this is the first time I have put a book on Library Thing that has been read by no-one else. I could smell the drying ink as I read it. show less

Mark Webber changed how motorsports in Europe saw drivers from Australia, and he has worked hard to make the transition easier for fellow drivers Daniel Ricciardo and New Zealander Mitch Evans. It’s a shame he was never able to become a world champion, but he made himself memorable in the world of F1.

Fantastically chronicled auto-biography. Very good insight into the life of a racing driver and the working of F1.
Good read for any racing fan.