Formula 1

Frustrated Webber wants more

There were no wild parties for Australia's Mark Webber after he equalled his best ever Formula One showing with a fifth place finish at his home grand prix on Sunday.

Webber was popping champagne corks when he steered his ailing Minardi to fifth place on his Formula One debut in Melbourne three years ago but the beer was a little flatter this time when he achieved the same result in a Williams.

"It could have been better," Webber said. "Fifth would have been good until we started the race, then I wanted more."

Webber arrived in Australia with little real hope of winning at Albert Park after trouble with his new car in pre-season testing but his hopes were raised after he qualified third on the grid.

He slipped to fourth after being overtaken by Red Bull's David Coulthard at the first corner but climbed back to third when he passed Jarno Trulli in a Toyota.

Webber was still third and eyeing his first podium finish when he stopped to re-fuel on the 39th lap but a slow pit-stop saw him slip back to sixth spot and he only managed to improve one place before the chequered flag was unfurled.

"It should have been a better result. We got done in the pits," he said.

"Reliability was strong today so that was a good thing, but once you get going you always want more, so that was the frustrating thing."

Williams technical director Sam Michael said Webber would have probably finished higher had he held off Coulthard at the first corner but his overall performance was encouraging.

"To be on the podium, we had to be second or third going into the first corner and we weren't," Michael said.

"We spent all of the first stint behind a car we were faster than...but I think Mark wanted to make sure he didn't make an idiot of himself going into turn one.

"It was still good to come away with some points which is the most important thing though it's a shame we couldn't get some more.

"We were certainly fast enough but it's only the first race of a long season and Mark drove a good race."