Webber proves fitness with central London pit stop 02 Jul 2010
As London’s Big Ben struck 6am on Friday, Mark Webber showed he’s made a full recovery after last Sunday’s crash in Valencia by roaring up to the gates of the UK capital’s Houses of Parliament in his Red Bull, where his pit crew were waiting to practice a full Formula One pit stop.
With less than a week to go until the British Grand Prix meeting, Webber and the full Red Bull pit team stunned onlookers and commuters on Parliament Square as they warmed up for the Silverstone showdown with an impressive 3.2 second stop time.
Webber, who last weekend in Valencia walked away unscathed from one of the most horrific crashes in recent years, thanks to the strength of his RB6 car, jumped at the chance to show off his driving skills to the unsuspecting British public.
“Obviously, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity - it’s not every day you get to see the sights of London from an F1 car,” an excited Webber said of the pit stop. “This year has once again thrown up some interesting rule changes so any practice the team can get is going to make a difference, no matter where it is.”
Jonathan Wheatley, Red Bull Racing team manager, added: “As a team, we practice and perform pit stops in all sorts of conditions around the world but this has been a really unique experience, one I imagine won’t be repeated. We’ve only got a week to go before Silverstone so what better way to practice under pressure than outside the Houses of Parliament.”
Webber will be back behind the wheel for Red Bull at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, before heading to Silverstone in preparation for next Friday’s opening practice for the British Grand Prix.
