Although it will be a big call when you
decide to hang up your Formula 1 helmet
at the end of 2013, it’s definitely the right
decision especially as you will have been
eyeing up something to reignite your fire after 12 years on the F1 treadmill. Perhaps
you never would have imagined you’d
be joining a sports car team again after
Le Mans ’99 but you will sign up with the
brand new Porsche LMP1 programme and
will have an amazing three years.
You’ll be surprised how much you enjoy sharing a car with teammates again – you’ll build
some great friendships and walk away with a
Drivers’ World Championship under your belt.
Then, despite still feeling young and having
a huge amount of knowledge and experience
to draw upon, you will step away from the
cockpit for the final time. You will be bowing
out when you’re still driving well and enjoying
it but it’s the right decision. It might sound baffling to you now but there will come a time
when lap times just aren’t as important to you
anymore.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, don’t
ever forget to treat people with respect and
race fairly throughout your career. Always.
The way you were brought up by your family
should never change.
You will want to retire without there being a
single person you can’t shake hands with and
say that we put it all out there and that it was
all done in the correct way. It is important that
all the trophies you will win and have at home
have been won fairly.
Don’t forget your roots, Mark, you will
always be a country boy who really just loves
to go racing.
CGM