Mark Webber has hinted that he could retire after the 2011 season when his current Red Bull contract expires.
The Australian got his first taste of Formula One in 1999 when he test drove the Arrows car in Barcelona. After leaving the Arrows team in 2002, he joined Minardi where he competed in his first F1 race, finishing fifth in front of his home crowd.
He has since raced for Jaguar, BMW Williams and currently Red Bull, where his best championship finish was fourth in 2009. He currently leads the championship fight by four points.
Despite this resurgence in form, Webber admitted he might not feel the same way about racing in 2012.
“I can not guarantee that my head will be in the same place in 2012,” he told Brazilian broadcaster Globo.
The 33-year-old says he is still determined to win the championship, but said he could get over leaving the sport having not made his dream a reality.
“Sure, I want to try and win the world title, I know that it changes people’s lives – it changes the person and I want to see how it feels.
“I also want you to realise that athletes can get over their dreams. Maybe I’ll end up doing a little hiking, I don’t know, but surely some more sporting challenges before I get too old and return to Australia to drink red wine,” he joked.