MARK Webber's father Alan wanted to ensure he didn't jinx his son's world championship bid so he opted to stay in Queanbeyan and watch from home.
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It proved a master stroke, with Webber wrapping up the world endurance championship with Porsche in Bahrain on Saturday.
Webber was in contention for the 2010 Formula One drivers championship going into the last race at Abu Dhabi, but he couldn't manage the needed win and finished the season in third.
Fifth place in the Six Hours of Bahrain was good enough for Webber and his teammates Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard to claim the title.
The Australian-New Zealand-German trio, who made two unscheduled pitstops, prevailed by five points to became Porsche's first world sportscar champions since 1986.
Alan and his wife Diane opted to stay home and watch the race on television.
"The last time we went over for the world title he missed out, a little bit superstitious I was," Alan said.
"[We're] very proud and very pleased for him. He's put in the hard yards over the years and to think that he's the world champion in sportscars is a wonderful moment for him and us as the family, of course. Over the moon."
"With the adrenaline rush we didn't go to sleep on the night it happened, the podium ceremony finished at 5.30am so it was hardly worthwhile going to bed," he said.
The title was Webber's first, apart from a NSW state title.
"He's a very happy camper," Alan said.
He said it had been a long journey from when Webber started out at the Canberra Kart Racing Club, and the world title was a fitting reward.
The Webbers said they had a few friends around the following night in celebration of the win.
"Just a little champagne, nothing too extravagant," Alan said.
He said his son was "all very excited and very pleased".
"This particular event was quite stressful. They had their issues with the reliability of the car... to marry it all together is quite a complex exercise," Alan said.
He said the support from the local community had been heartening, with the family having received plenty of calls, cards and texts since the win.
While the Webbers usually spend Christmas together, Alan wont see his son until January, when Mark returns to Queanbeyan for a visit.
"I think its the first time in five years we won't be together on Christmas day but anyway," he said.
"We can get though that, as a world champion he's probably looking forward to a spell without his oldies."
He said Webber was contracted for next season with Porsche and expected him to go around again, unless claiming an elusive world title had changed his mind.