Mark Webber has confirmed he will return to testing with Red Bull on February 11, less than three months after breaking his leg.
Australian set for February return
Mark Webber has confirmed he will return to testing with Red Bull on February 11, less than three months after breaking his leg in a biking accident.
Webber suffered the injury - which required surgery - during the 'Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge', an outdoor adventure race, when he collided with a 4x4.
The 32-year-old has always maintained he would be ready for the resumption of testing, but has now confirmed the exact date of his return to action, just two days after the Milton Keynes-based outfit launches their new car.
"I'm looking forward to driving the car in three weeks," Webber said.
"I'm going to have a crack at driving the car on February 11, and then we'll see how that goes.
Progress
"If it goes really well, I'll be back in on February 13. Then I've got three more tests - Jerez, Valencia and then our last test in Barcelona, with all the teams together - before we go off to Australia."
The Australian is happy with the progress he has made, but admits that the recovery process has meant he is not in optimal condition, a point he says will be rectified before the F1 season begins in Melbourne.
"I'm going alright now. We're coming out of the back part of the worst of it, and hopefully I won't be on the crutches too much longer," he said.
"I can start to test the muscle and the soft tissue in the back of the leg a little bit more when I get more confidence to walk on the leg.
"It won't affect how I drive my car. It affects my conditioning - I need a little bit more preparation, but by the time I get to Melbourne I should be in really good nick again.
"But at the moment I'm a bit under-cooked because I've been not that mobile. When I get going again, I'll be okay."
