Webber: In F1 you are on your own
Formula One drivers may race in teams of two, however, Mark Webber says at the end of the day it is every man for himself.
Webber's Red Bull team made headlines during the 2010 season after the intra-team rivalry between the Aussie and his team-mate spilled over into the public eye.
Not only did they have a spat after crashing into each other in the Turkish GP but Webber also labelled himself Red Bull's "number two" driver when Vettel was handed the front wing off his car at Silverstone.
And although the two cleared the air in their post-season meetings, it appears 2011 could see more of the same.
"There is a healthy respect; there has to be in competing against your rivals, otherwise you wouldn't get out there and have a go," Webber told The Sun-Herald.
"You have to respect your opposition. If you don't, you won't achieve great things because you'll drop your guard... there has to be an element of respect that way.
"It's just not easy to have complete friendships. I think you have closer friends from outside of your profession. You pick up the odd one or two along the way for sure, but (they're counted) on the one hand.
"You think there's a camaraderie, but in the end you know you're on your own."
His incidents with Vettel, though, weren't Webber's only moments in 2010 as the Aussie later revealed that he had competed in the final four races of the Championship with a fractured shoulder - and he didn't tell the team.
But despite keeping a rather big secret from his Red Bull outfit, the 34-year-old believes part of his success in F1, which saw him finish third in the 2010 Championship, is down to the trust he has built with the team.
"I think application, desire and determination to learn more are all important," Webber said of the path to success. "Experience is a good thing, but you can't go out and buy that off the street.
"Also, you never know who is watching, so keep pushing and keep trying. Listen to the people who can help you along the way, try and keep the continuity; the people who started out with you. It's nice to have that trust and the continuity with those people while you're going forward as a professional.
"It takes only a small handful of people. Just stick with them."
Credit: PlanetF1.com (www.planetf1.com)
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