MARCH 27, 2005

Webber injured since before Melbourne!

Mark Webber has told Australasian Motorsport News's website mnews.com.au that he raced in both Melbourne and Malaysia nursing a fractured rib. The injury originally occured during testing in Barcelona prior to the season opener and, while there was initially some possibility of not racing in Melbourne, extensive physio and a couple of pain-killing jabs enabled the BMW Williams driver to complete the weekend. The rib was slightly better in Malaysia but Webber stepped back from this week's testing in order be ready for next week's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Webber says that the injury, due to the combination of a slightly ill-fitting seat and the high G-force corners at Barcelona, damaged rib cartilege as well as fracturing the rib.