- Enjoyed a night out together at black-tie event with Ann Neal
Aussie F1 legend Mark Webber has stepped out for a rare public outing with his long-term partner at a black-tie event in London.
Webber, 49, was joined by Ann Neal, who was also his manager during his world championship career between 2002 and 2013.
The event was in aid of Australian Wildlife Conservancy UK, with other noted guests including the Marquess and Marchioness of Bath, plus American shipping heiress Kim Murdoch.
Queanbeyan-born Webber met Neal in 1994 when he was just 18 years old, and despite their 13-year age difference, their relationship soon went from professional to personal.
‘We just kind of had this bond. We just grew close through determination more than anything else. We just ticked,’ Neal previously said on the ABC’s Australian Story.
As Webber’s star rose in F1 circles, the couple kept their relationship a closely guarded secret.
Aussie F1 legend Mark Webber has stepped out for a rare public outing with his long-term partner Ann Neal at a black-tie event in London (pictured)
Queanbeyan-born Webber met Neal in 1994 and despite the 13-year age difference, their relationship soon went from professional to personal
They finally announced their relationship publicly in Melbourne in 2002 after Webber made his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix (pictured at the Australian Open tennis)
In recent years, Webber turned his attention to mentoring and managing fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri (pictured together in Brazil last year) and was a key figure in the young gun’s shift from Alpine to McLaren
‘I just didn’t think it was the right message if I was going to talk to a team boss or a sponsor if I rocked in there saying, ‘Oh my partner, my boyfriend’,’ Neal said.
‘I mean, it just sounded off. I knew the sport well enough to stand my own ground and represent him well.’
They finally announced their relationship publicly in Melbourne in 2002 after Webber made his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
‘Our relationship is totally wrapped up in one another and motor racing. We just have this bond that just gets stronger all the time,’ Neal said.
‘I suppose we are soul mates at the end of the day. That’s our story, we set out to do it and we did it.’
Webber’s F1 career included 215 races, which included nine Grand Prix wins and 45 podium finishes before he retired.
He then turned his attention to mentoring and managing fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri, and was a key figure in the young gun’s shift from Alpine to McLaren.
As of 2026, Webber has stepped back from trackside duties to focus on commercial responsibilities.
‘When I first got into F1, Mark was coming up with questions and ideas that literally hadn’t even entered my brain,’ Piastri said on the High Performance Podcast.
‘And I would hear him say it and go, ‘how the hell did he think of that?’ Or, ‘how am I ever going to think of that?’
‘There’s probably always going to be situations or things that have gone smoothly, or almost problems that weren’t problems that I’m never going to know about…because Mark managed them for me.’
