Interviews of Roman Klemm

OLIVER "OLI” WEBB: The rediscovered dream of an F1 cockpit 

Words & pics Roman Klemm

I have been following Oli Webb's sporting career since its beginnings in Formula BMW. We first spoke when the British F3 was at Hockenheim in 2010. I immediately liked the driver, who at the time (perhaps rightly) still dreamed of an F1 cockpit. Although his winding career did not lead to the F1 World Championship, he did get to drive in a Formula 1 cockpit - since 2024 he has been sporadically driving in the F1 Masters. We had a long chat with the multiple participant of the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year again at Hockenheimrings ADAC-Clark-Revival - where else?

What brought you to the racetrack?

We were not a motor racing family. Dad and brother used to go karting on holiday in France sometimes - that was it. I tried it once for fun and was surprisingly fast. But I was already 12 when I started racing, relatively late. But I was good. I finished second in the UK-Rotax class in my first year. Then I switched to T-Cars, which in England you can drive from the age of 14 and I did very well there too

In single-seaters, did you then appear in Formula BMW?

Yes, I became a member of their academy. This happened after a really extensive selection process among 200 talents. I made my mark together with Henry Surtees. We underwent absolutely professional training. In cars, in gyms and in media training. That was the time when I started dreaming of a Formula 1 cockpit - and actually it wasn't that far-fetched. At BMW, they were serious about us and didn't invest in us just for fun. It was here at Clark's Revival that I ran into my then top boss: BMW's sporting director, Dr. Mario Theissen...

And the results in the then most important junior formula?

I was satisfied. I was the best rookie and I finished seventh overall in the British championship. Marcus Ericsson became the champion at that time.

What followed was a promotion to F-Renault and then a season in the busy British F3 in 2010?

I also did well there. My rivals in F3 were, for example, James Calado, Will Stevens and Felipe Nasr. I led the championship until the last race, but due to the points deduction rule I did not become the champion.

You immediately moved up to the more powerful World Series F-Renault V6.

That was a mistake. I should have stayed in Formula 3. I did get a few good results in that V6, but we basically lacked speed. Me and the Spanish Pons team...

So you decided to jump across the ocean to the American Indy Lights?

There was nothing to decide - it was suddenly the only way to continue racing. My sponsor Lucas Oil wanted it that way and so I joined Sam Schmidt's team. 2012 was actually a good year. I finished well in front there a few times and won pole position twice. I only had problems with the ovals. It really shouldn't be underestimated. You don't have a chance there without testing - and the Americans were well-trained and very fast on the ovals...

So back to Europe?

2012 was a turning point in the sense that I realized that my path to F1 probably wouldn't work out. I got an offer from Alpine for endurance racing and tested their LMP2. I drove a bit in the World Series and made a living coaching beginners

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So did you become an endurance racing driver?

Yes, today I see myself primarily as a "marathon runner". I drove LMP2 for Alpina and then for the Morand team, where they found good sponsors from Japan. But the next years were a fight for survival and I drove everything that came my way. British GT and GT2 with McLaren, for example in the 24 hours of Spa.

You then became a member of the LMP1 team of the Romanian-German adventurer Dr. Colin Kolles for 4 years?

Colin helped me a lot. However, his program was developed on the verge of financial minimum and you can not do LMP1 this way against the factory organizations. Nevertheless, I think that we had a very good and fast driver line-up. Tom Dillman and Pierre Kaffer are excellent racers. I have always had an excellent relationship with Mr. Kolles, who many describe as a very problematic person. We never argued, not even when we had a defect at the beginning of the race. 

For the 2021 season, you were then engaged by the Slovak ARC Bratislava

I don't even know how the contact with Mr. Konopka happened. There was a nice atmosphere there like at Kolles, but it was a family operation that was even smaller than Kolles'. I especially like to remember Bahrain, where I drove with Kush Maini and we were good.

Who were the rivals who made the biggest impression on you during your career?

I would say Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Eric Vergne. Yes, they were and are truly exceptionally talented racers who would deserve a better chance in the Grand Prix.

Did your journey then lead you to historic events, among other things?

I simply took all the offers to finance my WEC starts and managed to land a job with the very successful French GPX team of Mr. "Fred" (Oli refused to reveal the full name of the man behind the scenes of the team), who had already won a lot in both historic and modern GT.

Did it mean the rebirth of Oli Webb's dream of F1?

I only drive selected F1-races that do not intersect with my GT commitments. Last year, my F1 debut in Le Castellet went very well, where I won overall in a Hesketh 308. Apart from that, I only started with the GPX team's Arrows F1 in Brno

...and you were by far the fastest there. What was the difference between the Hesketh from 1974 and the Arrows from the 1980 season?

The difference in the design is noticeable. The Arrows is a typical wing-car and even though in the F1-Masters we have to drive with a raised chassis and without skirts, its grip is much greater compared to the Hesketh. It's similar with the Fittipaldi F8 that I drive here in Hockenheim.

So what is your program for 2025?

I race in the McLaren-Trophy, British GT, GT-Open and for GPX the historic events Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic and around four other F1 races.

At the WEC event in Imola we ran into each other in the press room as colleagues. How is that?

I work as a commentator for the international Eurosport and I really enjoy it. I can chat in front of an audience of millions about something I love and know a little about - at least I think so...

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