MARK’S SHANGHAI TOP 5

Porsche Team: Mark Webber

Mark reveals the top 5 things he likes about racing in Shanghai.

The track

Shanghai is an enjoyable and challenging track to drive on. The first corner is incredibly fast on the way in and tightens the further you get into it. My favourite part of the track is turns five and six, which is a nice, flowing section and very fast. The circuit also has a few long straights, which give us drivers a bit of a breather and our 919 hybrid the chance to stretch its legs. The atmosphere with the fans there was really good last year and it’s great to see the WEC attracting a good audience.

F1 podium in 2011

I had one of my best podiums of my career in Shanghai when I stormed through the field from 18^th to third in 2011. It was a good race and I had quite a bit on. 
It was also an interesting two hours for my new training partner Rich as it was his first ever race and he was on the pit board keeping up with my progress. He did a great job, didn’t miss a lap but he cursed me for giving him so much to do on his first day…

Being chauffeured around

I’m normally always in the driving seat but in China we’ve always had a driver to get us to the circuit and around in the past so we don’t get lost. It’s a bit frustrating for me to be a passenger but somehow it’s also nice to put up your legs after a long day.

International cuisine

I’ve visited Shanghai a lot during my career and we’ve always found great places to eat. The variety is huge, you almost don’t know where to start! I really like soup dumplings which apparently are a Shanghai speciality but also the international cuisine is extremely good.

The city

It’s a massive city of course and there’s always lots going on down town and in the Bund area. You get tourists and locals mixing and some really cool, old art deco buildings from the 1920ies. It’s got a multicultural flair and a real mix of traditional and modern.

1 Comment

• 

  Petra

  on October 31, 2015 Reply

  Hi Mark, love your little story about Shanghai makes me a bit homesick after living 9 years in China and I share the unforgettable memories of 2011 and the following 2 years. Grateful to have had the chance to watch how you managed to drive from 18. to 3. on the podium, awesome to meet you and Rich in person, truly a highlight of my time in China. Wish both of you the very best.