10 Questions: Mark Webber, Formula One driver, 36

"IT'S about not forgetting where you've come from and the morals and loyalty you were taught when you were growing up."

YOU'VE won nine Formula One Grand Prix and been a whisker away from a world championship. Do you feel the pressure to convert that achievement into the sport's ultimate accolade?

In sport you always want more. It is human nature that we never seem to be satisfied with what we have. I absolutely want to improve my statistics and that involves challenging for another world title.

Did the legacy of Jack Brabham and Alan Jones influence you as a child?
Jack Brabham did, a lot, and what Alan Jones did was exceptional. Only three of us have won at this level and what those guys did was very positive for me. Dad used to always say the single-seater drivers were the best: the most accurate, the most precise, and that single-seat driving was the biggest challenge that you could undertake. His interest washed off on me and made me attracted to single-seater racing when I was growing up.

How do you keep a level head amid all the wealth and glamour of the F1 circuit?
It's not too difficult. I've had the same people around me since I was in my late teens. It is a very intense job and very busy now, with the season lasting from February through to November. It's about not forgetting where you've come from and the morals and loyalty you were taught when you were growing up.

You're from Queanbeyan in NSW. Are you still a country boy at heart?
Absolutely. I still remember coming over to the UK and some of the challenges I had when I was a young teenager. For me, it's important to reflect on where I grew up, the people and the sensational families that I was around.

Do you recall any knockabout things you got up to?
Using a chainsaw, starting bonfires and getting a clip around the ear if I misbehaved.

You need to make rapid decisions. How do you stay in control?
When you're learning Formula One at a young age a lot of things can be quite overwhelming. But as you get more time in the cockpit you develop more composure and the mental capacity to manage those decisions. You are able to distance yourself from what you're doing in the moment and think about other challenges.

You've been badly injured twice in competition. Does it affect the way you drive?
No. You can't take that into the cockpit. There's never a full season without some frustrating niggles in the background. You might have to tolerate some pain here and there but that's part of being a professional - it's your job to get through that stuff.

How do you keep your competitive edge?
I think it's just natural. You care about doing well and that means being competitive. I don't look for other events or other things; I think racing is enough.

Do you remember your big break?
Paul Stoddart was great to give me the drive in Formula 3000 after I had some very tough times in 1999; my career had pretty much derailed. It was a big chance for me to get back into single-seaters, which is what I love doing. It put me on the radar.

Is the Melbourne grand prix important for you?
I really enjoy racing in Melbourne; it's a sensational event and that makes me proud. I've been on a few podiums around the world but never managed to strike my home grand prix. Outside Monaco, the next thing you want to do as a driver is to win your home race.

The Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix is on tomorrow