Mark Webber admits he has been struggling for motivation for the past couple of F1 seasons

RETIRING Formula 1 star Mark Webber has conceded that it has been a struggle to stay motivated for the past couple of seasons.

RETIRING Formula 1 star Mark Webber has conceded that it has been a struggle to stay motivated for the past couple of seasons.

The Australian announced in June that the 2013 season would be his last in F1, electing to switch to sportscar racing next year with Porsche.

Webber admits that, after 12 years in motorsport's top flight, it has been getting tougher to find the will to put himself through the rigours of being an F1 driver.

"I've been on the edge with F1, motivation-wise, for the past couple of years," he told F1 Racing magazine.

"You have to be driven. You turn yourself around each winter and the fire in the belly is not quite what it was when you were 24.

"It's not about driving or racing, it's about keeping my own F1 programme going for 11 months of the year. And it's just got to the point where it's like, well, I've achieved a lot of things."

The relentless grind of the globetrotting 19-race F1 season is one thing Webber won't miss, citing "travel and hotels" as two things he won't miss.

"And probably the repetitive nature of the job. A bit of media. Lots and lots of small things that you're happy to deal with when you're bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

"But it does, in the end, force you to ask yourself the question: 'Do I have to be here, doing this?' And when Porsche came along, I could look myself in the eye and say: 'Well, you know what, I probably don't have to do some of those things any more."

Despite this, the 37-year-old, who will conclude a sterling 12 year career in Brazil this November, admits he thinks he is leaving F1 "a year too soon."

"I still enjoy being belted in the car and driving down the pit lane, which is a bit disappointing, but I've spoken to some really good sportsmen and women who have been at the crossroads where making the call was not easy and they messed it up," he said.

"I'm probably leaving F1 a year too soon but with the [regulation] changes next season [the introduction of turbo engines with a fuel limit] and the opportunity to join Porsche, it's the best move for me."

Webber has seven races left in his F1 career, with the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos on November 24 set to be his finale.