Mark Webber’s F1 airborne crash at Valencia was not the first time he has taken off at high speed. It happened before – twice – in the 1999 LeMans event. His bosses at Mercedes-Benz didn’t believe him when he told them that his car took flight the first time during practice, so they sent him back out in another car – which did exactly the same thing, only this time, it was caught on camera. It was a major embarrassment for Mercedes-Benz at the time. Fortunately, Webber survived both incidents and went on to a successful F1 racing career.
Aerodynamics were also at the centre of Mark Webber’s first race after his 2010 airborne F1 crash, the Silverstone Grand Prix a few weeks later, in July 2010. Webber managed to keep his F1 car on the ground for an emphatic win, his third of the season. However, there were dramas in the lead-up to the race. At the last moment before the start of the race, the front wing of Webber’s Red Bull race car was swapped with what was thought to be an inferior front wing from his teammate Sebastian Vittel’s car. Webber was furious because the move effectively signalled that Webber was the number two driver in the team – even though Webber was higher in the championship points table than his younger teammate. On the cool-down lap, after Webber crossed the finish line as the race winner, he told his crew over the radio “not bad for a number two driver”. Clearly there was nothing wrong with the ‘old’ front wing.
Check out his F1 crash:
Check out his LeMans crash:
Visit The Buzz today for quick and easy car insurance.
*The contents of this advertorial represent the opinions of the author and do not neccessarily represent the views of The Buzz.
Popular Science has been a leading source of science, technology and gadget news since 1872. With up-to-the minute latest space news, insightful commentary on the new innovations and concept cars ...if it's new or future technology you'll find it at popsci.com.au.
WW Media - Popular Science © 2010
Technology - DIY - Videos
