Webber To Resist Favouring Aussies For MW Arden GP3 Team

AUSTRALIAN F1 DRIVER Mark Webber says that he will resist the temptation to favour Australians in the hunt for drivers for his GP3 team MW Arden.

The team, which Webber started with Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner, will race in next year's GP3 series - a feeder series for GP2 and a training ground for F1 hopefuls.

Speaking with Autosport, Webber said that while young Aussies might be a preference, the number one aim is to put the team in the best position to win.

"Yes, there is going to be a part of me that leans toward my part of the world," Webber said.

"But we're in a performance business and Christian and I have exactly the same mentality about this team – we want to be toward the front and we will do whatever we can to get there."

Webber himself will test the team's car next week at Paul Ricard as part of a promotional event.

The GP3 series was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and disgraced Renault F1 boss Flavio Briatore.

GP3 races will be run exclusively in Europe, each car using a Dallara built chassis and drawing power from a 209kW Renault engine.

Unlike the multi-million dollar budgets required to field an F1 team, GP3's organisers claim a full season in the new series can be run for just under $1 million.