Mark Webber wants to be F1's Ryan Giggs

Mark Webber is ready to be Formula One’s answer to Ryan Giggs.

The Red Bull ace is a Manchester United fan and was disappointed that Giggs did not get to play his 1,000th senior game yesterday.

But like the Welsh wizard, Webber has agreed a one-year contract extension with championship hopefuls.

And he says he is not ready to call time on his career yet — and feels far younger than his 36 years.

He said: “Ryan Giggs is a professional. What he has achieved shows discipline and work-rate. Sir Alex Ferguson has done incredibly well for those players like Giggs and Paul Scholes.

“They never wasted energy and worked out that retiring from international football was the thing to do.

“They are very selfish in terms of the consumption of energy. Those guys are brilliant. You see Fergie brining on Giggsy to add a cool head or a little bit of control.

“It is all about knowing when to turn it on. Am absolutely as fast and raw and feeling as I did when I was 22? Probably not.

“But am I more calculated and composed? Yes. Definitely. For example, I was able to close it out at Monaco last year. It is a tough race but I closed it out and was in control.”

Webber is the oldest driver on the F1 grid this season following the retirement of Michael Schumacher.

But he says he is still fighting fit after recovering from an operation to remove a piece of metal from his leg, which he broke in 2008.

And he has no plans to call time on his racing career at the end of this season.

He added: “I am the oldest but I am not the most experienced. Jenson Button has done the most races!

“It means absolutely jack s***. If Michael Schumacher was still on the grid, then how would that make me feel any different?

“I still feel 25. I know I am not but I feel young. I don’t feel as though I am getting tired when driving the car. I feel good.

“I don’t see this as my last year in Formula One. I have signed one-year contracts for the last four-years here even when I am fighting for the world championship.”

Webber came under attack from his own team during the winter when the company’s motorsport chief, Helmut Marko, questioned if he could handle the pressure of a title challenge.

But the straight-talking Aussie refused to bite back and is hoping his driving will silence the 69-year-old.

He said: “Of course I was not impressed with his comments but he has an agenda and I am not part of that.

“I was never a Red Bull Junior driver. We are all entitled to our opinions.”