Webber snaps a 32-year Aussie drought

Congratulations to Mark Webber, who this morning finally won his maiden Formula 1 grand prix after eight years – and a lot of heartache -- in the world’s premier category.

The victory is Australia’s first in F1 since Alan Jones in 1981, but Webber has helped break a longer drought: it’s been 32 years since Aussies have won MotoGP (nee 500cc) and F1 races in the same year. Of course, Casey Stoner has been the winner on the motorcycling side of the equation.

That’s an amazing stat, but one that makes a lot of sense when you consider that Jones was well gone by the time Wayne Gardner became a 500cc winner, and then Webber has struggled to make an impact while Stoner and Chris Vermeulen have been winning MotoGP races.

In 1997, the late Jack Findlay won the 500 GP in Austria, and Jones also won the same country’s F1 race – although the events were held at different circuits.

Findlay, who was born in the small Victorian town of Mooroopna but eventually settled in France, retired in 1978 and remained active in motorcycle racing until close to his death in 2007.

It has already been an extraordinary year for Australian motorsport, with Webber now joining Stoner (MotoGP), Steve Martin (endurance), Jason Crump (speedway) and Chad Reed (supercross) in winning world championship races.