F1's force pushes Webber

ONLY days out from his attempt to win the Melbourne grand prix for the first time, Australian Formula One ace Mark Webber has revealed how driving his Red Bull car was the same as pushing his body in an adventure race.

Webber was in Hobart to launch his 2011 Swisse Mark Webber Challenge Tasmania which will be held in Tasmania's wilderness from December 7-11, after the completion of the F1 season.

"When I'm in the car I'm always pushing hard and looking for ways to make it go faster," Webber said.

"It's the same when I'm doing the race. I'm always pushing hard and trying to get more out of myself, so the two are very similar in that way."

Webber also revealed how France and Switzerland tried to poach his world-class adventure race from Tasmania.

The Challenge is in hot demand in countries that fancy adventure racing but Webber said the Tasmanian wilderness was tailor-made for his five-day test of fitness and mental fortitude.

The MWC is the F1 driver's other passion, and he expects it to attract plenty of world-class athletes as well as celebrities.

"There are so many beautiful places we get to race here like Cataract Gorge in Launceston, over the top of Mt Wellington here in Hobart, Cradle Mountain, the Walls of Jerusalem, Port Arthur," Webber said.

"There really are some unbelievable locations here."

The Challenge will be held in Tasmania for the next three years after the State Government backed it until 2013.

The last time Webber competed in his own event, he crashed into a four-wheel-drive on his mountain bike and broke his leg, jeopardising his F1 career.

"I always say I'll do some of the event and end up doing all of it because my competitive instincts kick in," Webber said. "Over the three events we've already held, of the 30 days of competition I've done 29 and a half because - on the last day of the last one I fell off my bike broke my leg."

The field will be restricted to between 80 and 100 competitors for safety reasons.

"We can't have 2000 people roaming around in the wilderness," Webber said.

Olympic rower James Tomkins has already signed on, so has Dancing With the Stars host Daniel Macpherson.

"There are plenty of Olympians and celebrities keen to do it, but they will make up only 10 per cent of the field," Webber said.

"The celebrities don't pay [to enter] and are high maintenance, so 90 per cent of the field will be people who will get a lot of out it personally."