Recently retired Porsche racer Mark Webber has made a personal pledge to help young sensation Matt Campbell as he makes the step up to Porsche Supercup next year.
Speaking soon after Campbell was named as the annual Porsche Motorsport Program Junior shootout winner, Webber will use his recently acquired role as an ambassador for the German marque to help guide his Australian compatriot.
Campbell rose above an international field of nine youngsters in a Junior Shootout at the Lausitzring, Germany, less than a month before he officially won the Australian Carrera Cup in October.
Originating from Warwick, a town south-west of Brisbane more known for its rodeo than producing motor racing champions, Campbell has set the Porsche world alight with his prodigious talent.
Speaking with Speedcafe.com, Webber said: “He’s definitely hot property no question.
“I’ve been watching from a distance, his racing here in Australia which is a very competitive championship here in the Carrera Cup.
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“He’s done a very, very good job. Smashed the Championship. I’d love to see him go to Europe and see him give it a go over there.
“I’ll personally try and support that and give him a chance to compete on the world stage.
“It’s these type of talents that come through these great categories here in Australia on tricky tracks. These venues are very technical here.”
Webber, who toiled hard through the mid-to-late 1990’s to chisel out a career in Europe before landing in Formula 1 from 2002 to 2013, is an expert on handing out advice on how best to survive in the cut-throat international environment.
“Whenever the young guys come to me for some help or advice I try to be as measured as I can,” Webber said.
“I don’t try and sugar coat it and say Europe is straight forward. It’s not there’s cultural shifts and things which they have to accept as part of a profession.”
Campbell, who spent time with Webber at a Michelin day at Brisbane’s Mt Cotton facility, is grateful for the advice from the 2015 WEC title winner and 9-times F1 grand prix winner.
“His wealth of experience in F1 and the WEC with Porsche. His knowledge and his history is a great help,” Campbell said.
Part of Campbell’s prize package includes a 200,000 Euros handout toward the Supercup campaign and training from Sascha Maassen, a two-times Le Mans 24 Hour Class winner and one-time team-mate to Ryan Briscoe in Porsche’s former RS Spyder campaign in the ALMS where he was the LMP2 champ in 2006.
VIDEO: Webber endorses Campbell
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