Mark Webber is reputed to be a true gentleman and like Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen before him, he will be quitting the sport on a high. He might have fewer trophies in his cabinet than the Scotsman or the Dane, but his endurance career has been shorter. His first appearance at Le Mans dates back to 1998, however, just four years after he took up racing - quite a feat in itself!

Australia lies off the beaten track as far as motor racing is concerned and young hopefuls from Down Under really only have one option if they want to make it big: head to Europe and work up the ranks to Formula One. Webber, from Queanbeyan in New South Wales, thus arrived in the UK at the age of just 19 and began competing in the prestigious British Formula Ford championship, coming second in 1996.

However, Webber’s career could have come to an end there if it hadn’t been for Australian rugby legend David Campese. Webber had been struggling to find the necessary budget but fellow Queanbeyanite Campese came to the rescue and put up the finances, enabling the driver to compete in Formula Three. His strong performance attracted the attention of Mercedes and Webber signed with them to compete in the 1998 FIA GT1 championship where he finished runner-up with five victories. That year, he also raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a couple of illustrious teammates: Bernd Schneider, later known as "Mr DTM” after five titles in the German touring car championship, and Klaus Ludwig, three-time Le Mans winner. The trio set off from pole but did not finish the race.

The German marque was optimistic when it returned to la Sarthe in 1999, but things did not go to plan: Webber’s Mercedes CLR flipped into the air during qualifying and again in the warm-up. Unable to take to the start, Webber watched as the car, driven by Peter Dumbreck, somersaulted once more during the race. Troubled Mercedes immediately withdrew from endurance racing while Webber turned to F3000, the final rung on the ladder before Formula One.

The Australian finished third at the end of his first year in the discipline and runner-up in 2000. His three victories impressed Giancarlo Minardi, owner of the eponymous F1 team and renowned for his talent-spotting skills. And Webber certainly proved that he had talent: in his very first Grand Prix – on home turf in Australia – he earned points by finishing fifth in the modest Minardi. He swapped that car for a Jaguar the following season, spending two years with the British marque.

He later joined Williams, an outfit that was not really at the top of its game at the time. Webber might not have been at the wheel of one of the more sophisticated cars, but he still proved that he was able to lead a Grand Prix race. He only achieved a single podium in 2005 but his luck changed in 2007 when he signed up with the fledgling Red Bull Racing team, which had just acquired Jaguar.

The team didn't enjoy the easiest of starts, taking just one podium in its first year. However, the squad headed by Dieter Mateschitz, owner of the energy drink brand, continued to improve and the hard work finally paid off in Nürburgring in 2009. There, Mark Webber took his first F1 win at the German Grand Prix, followed by a second place at Interlagos in Brazil. This might have paved the way to a world championship title had it not been for the meteoric rise of whizzkid Sebastian Vettel. The latter secured four consecutive world titles between 2010 and 2013, while the Australian had to make do with third place three times running, and sixth overall in 2012.

In late 2013, Webber fancied something new and joined Porsche as it was preparing for its 2014 return to top-tier sports car racing in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) LM P1 class – a move he wouldn’t regret! The first year was one of mixed fortunes for Webber and teammates Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley. In 2015, however, they earned the ultimate accolade: after coming second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, they clinched the WEC title. The 2016 season got off to a tricky start for the #1 Porsche 919 Hybrid, including a tough Le Mans 24 Hours, but the trio has since enjoyed a three-race winning streak at Nürburgring, Mexico and Austin.

Webber’s conduct has always been exemplary on and off the track, but he is very much a fighter. When asked how he felt about the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, he simply replied: “I’ll love it when I’ve conquered it!”. Unfortunately that Le Mans win always eluded him.