Former Formula One star Mark Webber was second fastest in testing for the 2014 World Endurance Championship as the Australian opened a new chapter in his career.

Webber, driving a Porsche 919 Hybrid, was just a 10th of a second behind team-mate Timo Bernhard, who clocked 1min 41.788sec, on the first day of testing at the Paul Ricard circuit.

Australian veteran Webber spent 12 seasons in F1 and was third in the world championship in 2013 before he decided to quit and race sports cars instead.

The eight-round world endurance championship gets underway at Silverstone on April 20 and ends at Sao Paulo on November 30.

The series also includes the famed Le Mans 24 Hour Race on June 14.