Mark Webber is not a man to mince his words. In the past few weeks he has labelled the sport which has made him rich and famous "embarrassing", and called the decision to allow untested debutants, Hispania Racing, on to the 2010 grid as "Mickey Mouse", adding that it would have made more sense to field MotoGP star Valentino Rossi in Bahrain this Sunday on his motorbike.
So when Red Bull's Australian driver, the "dark horse" for this year's championship according to his team principal Christian Horner, tells you he does not consider F1's emerging brat pack to be "real men" in the way that their predecessors were, it does not cause the same shockwaves as if, say, Jenson Button had said it.
"The cars are easier to drive," he explains. "You don't look at these guys and think 'they are real men'. They are talented, no question, but there is less in common.
"There is power steering now; a lot of things that make the cars easier to drive. That's why these youngsters can get away with it. I came through the categories with gear sticks and what have you. And that was beneficial for me. But there is no point whingeing about it. They come along and do a good job for the most part. Some don't.
"But every now and again ? whether it's a Lewis [Hamilton] or a Seb [Vettel] ? they can, with phenomenal grooming, come in and do a good job."
A lot of people would read those comments and think "arrogant" but that is not Webber's intention. He is just trying to give an honest appraisal of an issue that vexes him; that of youngsters turning up in Formula One unprepared for its demands.
In fact, in an effort to redress the balance, Webber has set up a team in the new GP3 feeder series this season with Horner, which he intends to use as a vehicle to prepare young talent properly.
"I want them to learn from what I learnt along the way," he says. "Teaching them that when they get that meeting with [McLaren team principal] Martin Whitmarsh, they haven't made it, because he has had every ------ in there.
"I won't hold their hand. For me, if someone is holding a silver spoon for you the whole way through, when you get to the top someone like Fernando [Alonso] will rip you to smithereens. You have to have been in the back alleys."
As someone who was managed by Flavio Briatore until the Italian's recent ban, a cynic might suggest Webber would be well schooled in the dark arts, but he defends his former manager.
"You know, we have some stale individuals in this paddock," he says. "Flavio was a character, flamboyant. You need those types in every sport. The Jose Mourinhos of this world."
In any case, Webber intends to bring all of his street-fighting expertise to bear this season. Written off as a talented, but ultimately doomed driver after stints at Minardi, Jaguar and Williams, he finally found himself in a winning car last year.
And despite driving the season with metal pins in his leg as a result of a horrific mountain-bike accident, he went a long way to proving his doubters wrong, picking up his first ever victory ? at the 130th attempt ? in Germany, before repeating the trick in Brazil. He ended the year in fourth place in the drivers' championship. It was a huge confidence boost.
Now he believes he can become the first Australian since Alan Jones in 1980 to lift the title, although not many would agree with him.
"It is all motivation for me," he shrugs. "I'll do my talking on the track." But before he goes he cannot resist having a typically forthright say on the comeback of Michael Schumacher. "I think it will be a bloody hard season for him," he says. "I think he'll go all right but I have never, ever seen a phenomenal comeback. When has the second career ever been better than the first?"
Once again the honesty hits you. Formula One will miss Webber when he has gone.
), I was meaning to ask, what are you gonna do with that sig you have there...it's not right is it? 
