MARK WEBBER REVS UP FOR F1 WAR

MARK Webber is predicting a tough battle for the F1 crown – and he wants to be right in the thick of it.

The most widely-anticipated season for years roars into life in Bahrain on ­Sunday.

And Red Bull ace Webber can hardly wait, particularly as he is going into the first race 100 per cent fit this time.

“We will see a lot of racing going on,” the big Aussie said. “In years gone by, we have had one guy start at the front, ­disappear – and there has not had to be much going on.

“Now we are going to have to get the elbows out. Oh yes, a lot of tough racing. I look forward to that.”

The likes of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa at Ferrari, Michael ­Schumacher at Mercedes and Jenson ­Button and Lewis Hamilton at McLaren are the names on everyone’s lips.

His Red Bull team-mate Sebastian ­Vettel is also in the frame, but Webber is the dark horse of the title race, with the 33-year-old star looking to build on last season’s ­breakthrough year.

“I don’t get wound up about it,” he ­added. “Let’s see if I can do as last year and have people saying, ‘Bloody hell, he’s in the hunt’.

“If Sebastian is one of the favourites, then I suppose I need to be one as well.

“My chances are as good as anyone. Last year I was in the hunt for a long ­period but didn’t get it done.

“I am not intimidated by anyone, let’s get that clear. I can race with them.

“I have had very good fights with ­Fernando, less so with Michael because he had the cars in the past. With Sebastian, we drive the same car and it was nip and tuck with him last season.”

Webber began 2009 with a broken leg suffered in a bike versus 4x4 collision in Tasmania on his charity challenge.

After struggling through the early part of the season, he grabbed a big win in Germany and by the end of the year was fourth in the championship with two victories and eight podium finishes.

He plans to carry that momentum into this season, adding: “It is going to be very competitive and there are going to be quite a few different winners.

“Team and driver will have to be ­consistent. I accept that I might be a bit of a dark horse, but that is a good ­position for me to be in.

“It’s normal people will go for Jenson, Lewis, Michael, Sebastian, who is young, Massa, who has fought for the championship, and Alonso, who has two titles.

“The big difference for me this year is physically and mentally.

“This year I don’t have the worry of waking up wondering if the leg has ­improved. It’s hard to say if it affected my performance.

“Maybe mentally I was a bit drained because I did have an off-season with ­operations and recuperation.”

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