CHRIS THOMSON

EXCLUSIVE: Formula One world championship leader Mark Webber and his Red Bull Renault are gearing up to smash the Barbagallo Raceway lap record as part of an inaugural ‘Perth Festival of Speed’ on Sunday, November 28.

WA Sporting Car Club competitions manager Raymond Shaw has confirmed that promoter and former European touring car racer Terry Mader has booked the track and secured the speedy Australian.

Organisers have quietly obtained national and international safety approvals for Webber to attempt the fastest lap ever at Barbagello.

“We’ve checked with our governing body – the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, checked with FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) and Formula One to ensure the activity could take place, and that the venue is safe for the activity,” Mr Shaw revealed.

“That’s all been confirmed and okay.”

Mr Shaw said Webber would do three demonstration runs.

It will be the first time WA has seen a current F1 car in full flight since hosting the largely domestic Australian Grand Prix during the state’s 150th birthday celebrations in 1979.

“It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities,” Mr Shaw said.

Webber’s Sydney-based manager Ben Hartman revealed only that his high profile client would be “in Australia” at the time.

Mader would not confirm Webber’s participation, but an approvals document seen by oneperth.com.au confirms the F1 ace has agreed to come.

The festival is exactly two weeks after the last race of the F1 season in Abu Dhabi. If Webber keeps winning, Perth F1 fans could see the first Aussie world champ since Alan Jones in 1980 in action on their home soil.

Mader said that several lap records would be attempted on November 28, tyre smoking was on the cards, and “a couple of V8 Super Car teams” would enter the fray.

The event will be a supercharged version of England’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

“Goodwood is a bit too much of a vintage event,” said West Australian Mader who spent eight years racing in Europe before returning to Perth three yeas ago.

“What we’re aiming for is 80 per cent modern-generation, (the) latest Porsches, Ferraris, power cars and bikes.”

Webber is tipped by 1959/60/66 world drivers’ champion Sir Jack Brabham to become only the third Australian to top the end of year rankings, behind he and Jones.

The squeal of Webber’s Red Bull Renault is set to improve the moods of speed freaks saddened by the recent cancellation of next year’s Red Bull Air Race series due to safety concerns.

The festival will be a boon for Barbagallo which has received $10.5 million in government funding to secure upgrades to enable  a five-year return of V8 Supercar racing from next year. The 2010 event was dumped in February with then Supercars acting CEO Shane Howard labelling facilities “third-world”.

In 2011, Mader intends to transfer the festival from Barbagallo to a temporary street track comprising Riverside Drive, Terrace Road and Victoria Avenue in the Perth CBD.

Queanbeyan-born Webber is enjoying his finest Formula 1 season, winning four of the 12 Grands Prix completed this year. With seven races to go, he sits just four points clear of MacLaren driver Lewis Hamilton.