Feb.9 (GMM) Mark Webber on Monday counted himself out of the new trend for F1’s heavier drivers to try to slim down ahead of the 2009 season
At 184cm, the slender Australian is among the tallest and therefore heaviest on the grid; a particular disadvantage in 2009 given the arrival of hefty KERS technology
Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Nelson Piquet, Nico Rosberg and Rubens Barrichello have admitted to losing weight after the 2008 season, for fear of falling behind their lighter rivals who can this year place more of the 605kg minimum car-driver weight as strategic ballast
But 32-year-old Webber, attempting to restore strength to his visibly diminished legs following his cycling crash last November, said he is not trying to lose weight
“I’m 75 kilos,” he said
“I’m not going to try any harder to be any lighter, because that’s how I am and that’s what weight I need to be,” said the Red Bull driver at the launch of the Adrian Newey-penned RB5
“If someone wants me to be 70 kilos then get someone else to do it, because at 70 kilos I wouldn’t look very clever,” Webber added