Hockenheim: Australian Mark Webber suggested on Thursday that a bit of bad language would have saved him a lot of hassle in the aftermath of his British Grand Prix victory.
The Red Bull driver triggered a Formula One favouritism furore two weekends ago when he took the chequered flag at Silverstone and said over the team radio the victory was "not bad for a number two driver".
The comment came after Red Bull took a new-specification front wing off his car for qualifying and handed it to his German teammate Sebastian Vettel, who had broken his in practice, to secure pole position.
"I don't have any regrets, no," Webber told reporters at the German Grand Prix. "Things happen in the heat of the moment that happen.
"I should have put some colourful language either side of my radio transmission because maybe it (the comment) would never have got run (on the public television feed)," he added.
"Obviously, I was polite and it did get run and a few extra people heard what I had to say."
Webber has won more than anyone after 10 of 19 races this season, three compared to Vettel's two, but is still only third in the standings behind McLaren's world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
The 33-year-old steps into the lions' den at Hockenheim, Vettel's home race, but he won the German Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring last year and seemed unfazed at being surrounded by German drivers in a news conference at the circuit.
Webber was keen to mend fences, reminding his audience he had once been a Mercedes driver in sportscars and had no personal grievance against Vettel.
"It wasn't a huge drama at the last race," he said, adding it was only natural for the media "to wind up a nice rivalry". I don't have any problems with Sebastian. What happened in Silverstone was nothing of Seb's doing.
"In the end we are a very strong team, let me tell you," added the Australian.
Vettel agreed. "The most important thing you need to understand is that it doesn't matter who wins the race. In the end we are a team and Red Bull Racing won the race on Sunday, Mark did, and it was a great result."
First free practice:
1. Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1:25.701, 2. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1:26.850, 3. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1:26.936, 4. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Williams F1 1:26.947, 5. Vitaly Petrov (RUS) Renault 1:26.948, 6. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes GP 1:27.448, 7. Sebastien Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 1:28.114, 8. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Williams F1 1:28.193, 9. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Force India 1:28.300, 10. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP) Sauber 1:28.486, 11. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1:28.735, 12. Timo Glock (GER) Virgin Racing 1:28.735, 13. Robert Kubica (POL) Renault 1:28.903, 14. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1:29.048, 15. Jarno Trulli (ITA) Lotus 1:29.280, 16. Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 1:29.366, 17. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 1:29.429, 18. Lucas Di Grassi (BRA) Virgin Racing 1:29.500, 19. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1:29.684, 20. Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) Sauber 1:29.690 21. Fairuz Fauzy (MAS) Lotus 1:30.938, 22. Bruno Senna (BRA) Hispania 1:31.720, 23. Michael Schumacher (GER) Mercedes GP 1:32.450, 24. Sakon Yamamoto (JPN) Hispania 1:32.791.
