The driver announcement was made yesterdaywhen Porsche unveiled its Porsche 919 Hybrid at the Geneva International Motor Show.
Nine-time Grand Prix winner Webber will head Porsche's return - after a 16-year absence - to the top echelon of endurance racing. He will share car number 20 with Hartley and German Porsche factory driver Timo Bernhard. Porsche's second car (No 14) will be shared by Romain Dumas (France), Neel Jani (Switzerland) and Marc Lieb (Germany).
The 919s will run in the top category of prototypes (LMP1) in the eight races of the WEC series, the highlight of which will be the 24 hours of Le Mans in June.
For Hartley, who left his homeland early to advance his racing career in Europe, the position with Porsche was confirmation that good things come to those who wait.
''I'm incredibly proud that Porsche has chosen me. I was deeply impressed at my first outing in Le Mans. But to compete there in the LMP1 for an iconic company like Porsche is another dimension completely,'' he said in a media release.
His latest ride, the 919 Hybrid, has been dubbed the ''fastest mobile research laboratory and the most complex race car that Porsche has ever built'' by Porsche AG chairman Matthias Muller.
The petrol engine is a compact V4 powerplant producing about 368kW that also serves as a load-bearing member in the chassis. In addition, the car has two energy recovery systems - one that recovers thermal energy from exhaust gases via an electric generator driven by the exhaust gas stream and another that utilises a generator on the front axle to convert kinetic energy into electric energy during braking phases.
Four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel predicts a debacle for Red Bull unless it improves its car before the season opens at the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks, AFP reported.
''First of all, just getting to the finish would be a success,'' Vettel told broadcaster Servus TV.
''If half the drivers fail to finish, then maybe we could take a few points.''
The 26-year-old is bidding for a fifth consecutive world title when the season starts in Melbourne on March 16, but endured a frustrating four days of testing the new Red Bull car in Bahrain, which concluded on Monday. His mentor and Red Bull's adviser Helmut Marko echoed Vettel's concerns.
''We are not where we want to be,'' said the Austrian after the second testing session of the winter.
''The start of the season has come at least two months too early for us.
''It will be difficult to catch up, we don't know when or if that is possible.''
Williams' Felipe Massa posted the fastest time in Bahrain, clocking 1min 33.258secs, closely followed by Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, who was just 0.06sec slower, while Vettel came in 18th fastest overall and his team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo, 10th.
