In the driving seat with Mark Webber

BMW WilliamsF1 Team Formula One star Mark Webber talks exclusively to ntl motoring about his off circuit driving experiences.

Q: What was the first road car you ever owned?
MW: It was a 1969 Toyota Corona, a 2 speed automatic.

Q: When were you last happiest in a car?
MW: I enjoyed the Top Gear challenge I took part in recently; driving a very slow road car as fast as possible in very wet conditions around a race track. It was good fun!

Q: Have you ever been involved in a road crash away from the circuit?
MW: Yes, I have. I've had a few smaller accidents but the biggest accident I've had on the road was in Germany in the early hours of the morning. I hit a guard rail at high speed on the motorway and the car was destroyed.

Q: What winds you up about other drivers, be it in F1 or on the road?
MW: People not being aware of their surroundings, i.e. other road users.

Q: Have you ever broken the law in a car?
MW: Yes, I've broken the law.

Q: Have you ever had someone try to beat you off the lights?
MW: I've often had people try to drag me away from the lights, generally men with, of course, a lot of testosterone.

Q: What car has BMW given you and how does it compare to the XKR you had at Jaguar?
MW: I have a BMW M5 and 5 series station-wagon and I enjoy driving both of them for different reasons. The M5 is like a wolf in sheep's clothing - very understated but a real beast of a car, while the station-wagon is very practical for transporting my bike and the dogs! Jaguar and BMW both produce very good cars but I think BMW has more resources in terms of vehicle development and therefore they are tested under harsher conditions before being put into mass production.

Q: And what is currently in the car CD player?
MW: I don't have one in the car at the moment!

Q: What's the one car you'd love to drive but haven't had the chance?
MW: A world rally car would be an awesome experience.

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