Red Bull's Mark Webber: 'Words are dangerous. It's hard to be honest'

Mark Webber, who finished third in Formula One's world championship last year, has described the battle he faces in remaining true to his candid character amid growing pressure to temper his tendency to talk openly. "We have to be much more careful," Webber said in a detailed interview to be published in full in Tuesday's Guardian. "Words are dangerous and it's hard to be honest. You want to be more open and give the public a real snapshot – but you can get into trouble." The 34-year-old Australian, who is preparing for Sunday's opening race in his home country, was at the centre of a compelling struggle last year as he and his team-mate Sebastian Vettel were consistently the quickest drivers in their Red Bull cars. There was also acrimony as Red Bull made decisions that seemed to favour the young German, who became world champion after trailing Webber and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso until the final race. Webber was typically outspoken in suggesting that his title challenge had been an "inconvenience" to Red Bull; and when he won the British grand prix last summer he quipped, "not bad for a No2 driver" over the car radio. Asked if he will be as forthright this year, Webber said: "It's a frustratingly difficult question to answer because at the end of your career you want to be just like you were in the early years. But you've got to be very careful because the media is so powerful. My gut says we should take things head-on and deal with the consequences later. Emotionally, I usually go back to my default position and say what I feel is right." Last month, with the first race scheduled for Bahrain, Webber was the only driver who came out and said unequivocally, while Bernie Ecclestone vacillated, that the grand prix should be cancelled. He stressed that the political struggle in the Middle East was far more important than Formula One. Webber also reacted bluntly in rejecting Ecclestone's ludicrous idea that they should produce "artificial rain" to make the sport more stimulating. "Jim Clark will be spinning in his grave," Webber said, citing one of the purest racers in Formula One history. Suggesting that many of his contemporaries think "it's a hassle" to talk honestly, Webber said: "I give my opinion, whether it's about Bahrain or if I'm asked if Lewis Hamilton is going to have a tough season. It's hilarious how people hook into you for having an opinion. If you talk to me about my job I'll tell you what's going on because, believe it or not, I fucking well know what I'm talking about." Asked whether he and Vettel had addressed their differences over the winter, Webber said: "We had a good chat after the last race. It was more comfortable for us to talk after the last bell had rung and to put aside our team bosses. It was just us, as drivers, and that was of use. "I was very disappointed [not to win the drivers' championship]. I wasn't interested in finishing second or third. When you get that close you just want to win. But I try to keep things as real as possible. It's the old thing about the bloke in the mirror. If you're lying to him then you're in trouble. But if you don't leave any change on the table, you do your best but still get beaten, you can live with it. I'm still absolutely rapt with what I've achieved." Read the full interview in Tuesday's Guardian and online.