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BMW-Williams' bosses are raving about Australian F1 ace Mark Webber.
The Grove-based Formula One team is on the look-out for a new driver after Juan Pablo Montoya recently confirmed his switch to rivals McLaren for 2005.
'We've always thought Mark was very good,' said Frank Williams.
Patrick Head, team technical director, added of the 27-year-old currently under-contract to Jaguar: 'It's fair to say that we rate Mark very highly.'
Webber also has links to top-team Renault through agent Flavio Briatore.
Head sees the Queanbeyan-born challenger, Webber, as a bit like Nigel Mansell, Williams' world champion of 1992 - 'a great charger,' said the Englishman.
OBLITERATED TEAM-MATE PIZZONIA
Frank Williams continues: 'In Austria last year, Mark did the fastest lap of the race on the final lap, even though he was running in something like eighth.'
Webber obliterated Williams' new tester Antonio Pizzonia as a team- mate in 2003.
'If he's the best part of a second quicker than Antonio, who was as fast as our race drivers in testing,' Head mused, 'then Mark must be pretty damn good.'
Head also lauded Webber's commitment and fitness. 'He drove some pretty good races last year. He's very committed and one of the fittest guys out there.'
Sources report that Webber has a crucial clause in his new two-year deal that would annul the contract if Jaguar does not hit certain performance targets.
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