After 205 races, which have seen 9 victories and 36 podiums, Australian Formula One and current Infiniti Red Bull Racing driver, Mark Webber, will leave his blue-purple hued racing suit at the end of the year to join Porsche. Webber has signed a contract with the Le Mans legends that extends over several years to compete in the new Porsche LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports car World Endurance Championship WEC for the Porsche factory team.

"It's an honour for me to join Porsche on its return to the top category at Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and to be part of the team. Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level. I'm very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula One. I can hardly wait to drive one of the fastest sports cars in the world," said Webber.

Competing in the new LMP1 car alongside Webber are the two long standing Porsche factory drivers Timo Bernhard (Germany), Romain Dumas (France), and ex-Formula One test driver Neel Jani (Switzerland).

Bernhard and Dumas already joined forces in 2010 to achieve overall victory in the Le Mans 24 hours. In 2007 and 2008, they secured the American Le Mans Series title at the wheel of the Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 sports prototype. Neel Jani has contested the LMP1 class since 2010.

"I'm very pleased to have secured Mark Webber one of the best and most successful Formula One drivers of our time for our LMP1 project. Mark is one of the world's best race drivers, he has experience at the Le Mans 24 hours race, and on top of that he's been a Porsche enthusiast for many years," said Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG.