I will be 100% ready to do my job - Webber

Mark Webber’s undergoing one unconventional route to full fitness. As part of the rehabilitation after his road accident last November, as well as gym and pool work, Mark has been standing in a cryogenic chamber which plunges to a teeth-grinding temperature of -130˚C for three minutes.

“I’ve been doing it for three weeks now,” said Webber. “You go from a normal, ambient room temperature into a chamber of -50˚C for about 30 seconds and then for another three minutes into -130˚C.

“It’s very good for your general well-being, your immune system and apparently it’s good for cellulite. Not much of a worry for me… but it’s very good for the whole body.”

The intense cold massively increases blood supply around Mark’s body and that includes his right leg, helping to heal that fracture.

“The results over the last few weeks have been incredible. We had a really good week last week, so we’re really positive… dare I say it, we’re probably a little bit ahead of schedule.”

With just over a week to go before Mark is scheduled to get back into a Formula One car for the first time since the Brazilian Grand Prix, while he’s optimistic, he’s also realistic.

“Driving is not like playing tennis. A tennis player can practise before actually playing a game. I need to get in the car and go and do it to find out about things like the vibration jolts. Although I may do some karting beforehand.”

And Mark did get behind the wheel of a kart when he visited the Hahnenkamm Rennen skiing event in Austria recently. Did he race? “No - I was just mucking about in the kart!”

What he is serious about is his determination to be ready for the first race of the year.

“I’ve really worked hard to get in this position,” he said. “There’s been some stuff in the press that I won’t be 100% fit for Melbourne which pissed me off. I will be 100% ready to do my job.”

Mark will join new team-mate Sebastian Vettel at Jerez in Spain on February 9 for the launch of the RB5.