Mark keeps his showcar within Melbourne’s City limits

Mark made the first run in Melbourne this morning - although he was on his own and kept strictly to the speed limit as he crossed the Bolte Bridge in our Running Showcar.

Ahead of next weekend’s first race of the season in Albert Park, crowds gathered at Docklands Waterfront City and watched on big screens as Webber made his way across the city’s landmark bridge.

The fans then cheered Mark on as he drove along the waterfront precinct. He joined Australian F1 commentator Greg Rust on stage for a question and answer session before signing autographs for fans.

“It’s good to be back in Australia and in Melbourne in the sunshine,” Mark said. “The city has gone to a lot of effort to make today’s event possible, so I’d like to thank them and Red Bull. It’s good to be able to say thanks for all the support the local people have offered me during the last few seasons.”

“The Melbourne grand prix is a special event and one we should be very proud of. Of course, I’m a little biased as an Aussie but I know a lot of the drivers and fans love it too. It was a great way to start the grand prix week and hopefully we can finish it with a good result on Sunday.”

But for a man who’s more used to racing on the track, how hard was it for Webber to stick to the speed limit?

"It wasn’t too bad" said Mark. "The boys rigged up a good system for me so I could stay within it, so it was easy."

Wasn’t it tempting to just put his foot down? "No – we’ll get to that next weekend..."