Webber: Vettel will be ‘protected’ in team orders row

2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

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Mark Webber said there will be no repercussions for Sebastian Vettel after disobeyed an order not to pass him during the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Vettel was running behind Webber in the final stint of the race when he passed Webber for the lead, going on to win.

“I was controlling the race and getting everything in place really towards the back end of the race. Obviously I had to make Lewis off a little bit in the middle there.

“After the last stop obviously the team told me that the race was over and we turn the engines down and we go to the end. I want to race as well but in the end the team made a decision which we always say before the start of the race is probably how it’s going to be. We look after the tyres, get the car to the end.”

“In the end Seb made his own decisions today and will have protection as usual and that’s the way it goes.”

Christian Horner said: “I’m not quite sure what he means by that,” when asked about Webber’s remarks.

Horner confirmed the drivers had been told to hold position after the final pit stop: “For us the most important thing for us was to win this race. We’ve done that, we’ve achieved a one-two finish. We gave strict instructions to both cars after the final stop.

“Of course Mark’s going to be aggrieved by it but the instructions were clear, they were clear for all to hear, and the drivers have taken it into their own hands.”

Vettel refused to be drawn on the subject following the podium ceremony, saying: “I think obviously it’s very hot today and if there’s something to say we need to talk internally.

“For sure I think we both enjoyed that. Of course I’m standing in the middle now so I enjoyed the podium a little bit more. But I think we have plenty of time to talk about.”

Team advisor Helmut Marko said the situation “got out of control”:

“It was Christian [Horner] who said we have to look after the tyres and stay in position,” he added. “But then I don’t know how… he was immediately behind him and then there was a race and at this stage you can’t talk to race drivers.”

“The team will have a word because we have to control the drivers. It’s not like at Mercedes where it’s clear number one and number two, basically we treat the drivers the same.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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244 comments on “Webber: Vettel will be ‘protected’ in team orders row”

  1. Lol bringing up Mercedes to deflect. And you might not say it now, but Marko you always had a number one

  2. Is Helmut Marko not compassionately defending Vettel? I had to look twice to believe it.

    1. I pinched myself also

    2. He will defend him, don’t doubt that for a minute; it’s just not very political to do it so soon after the events. And the dig at Mercedes… That’s Helmut Marko :-)

      1. I choked on my drink when he said that, what an utter clot he is.

      2. Seriously that last statement on mercedes was just cheap

    3. Speeding Helmet
      24th March 2013, 10:53

      I think it’s a case of “thou doth protest too much”…

      He’s trying to counteract Webber’s remarks about Seb being protected and so suggests the opposite.

    4. He is, but saying anything more direct will make him sound sillier than ever

      1. That’s never stopped him before.

  3. clearly vettel is the number one driver…. why do they keep denying it

    1. If it’s so clear to you, why is it still not clear to Webber after all those years?

      I’ve lost count of how many times he was “telling it like it is”, how many times he was railing and fuming, how many times he used harsh words against some injustice within the team.

      But, surprise, surprise, in the end this stand-up kind of guy is always back in the same position: kowtowing, swallowing everything and coming to heel. Doesn’t action speak louder than words?

      1. petebaldwin (@)
        24th March 2013, 11:09

        Where else would Webber get a seat in a car where he had a chance of winning races? Sadly for Mark, as much as he has been potentially wronged today, he isn’t quick/consistant enough for a top drive anywhere else.

      2. I think it’s clear to Mark, he’s just shows respect to the people that pay his salary and give him a car to drive. Oh and a little professionalism.

    2. How is it clear after a race where Red Bull favored Webber?

      1. @mnmracer How did they favor Webber exactly? Vettel lost the lead by his decision to go to slicks too early. Then after the pitstops were over the drivers were required to bring the cars home as was agreed before the race with that stupid code(why do they use codes anyway when team orders are allowed?). So while the team didn’t favor SV during the race, they definitely didn’t do MW any favors. He was leading on merit.

        And after the race, SV will get his usual protection from Helmet and all will be forgiven(that’s what MW was referring to IMO)

        1. jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
          24th March 2013, 18:54

          I don’t think it was a coded message as much as it was one of their strategy plans which always have code names to refer to, simply so other teams won’t immediately know their plans

        2. How did the team NOT favor Webber? They gave Vettel two team-orders. Earlier in the race he was told not to overtake Webber, and then AGAIN after the final pitstops. Webber would have been leading on merit if he fought off Vettel earlier, but he team used team-orders to prevent a fight.

    3. They then have a dig at Mercedes in the process as well.

  4. Vettel just won my respect and Rosberg completely lost it.
    I don’t think Senna, Prost or Piquet would have done any less than Vettel, and that is why they all have 3 titles on their belts.

    1. *at least 3, in Prosts case*

      1. Yet Mark obeys 2011 Silverstone for the good of the team.

        1. He should not have obeyed. Massa should not have obeyed. That’s when you get marked as a weakling for the rest of your career.

          1. +1..SV did a great job today and should be commended for what. MW’s ire should be directed at his team and his own useless self….

          2. the problem is :
            if Vettel don’t obeys: it’s fine…bla, bla, bla with the team and we discuss internally bla, bla, bla
            If Webber don’t obeys: he’s fired.

            Same with Massa

          3. @flig
            Too right mate. That’s why Ham, Vet and Alonso are No.1 drivers and WDC. A true racer yields to no man.

          4. @nomore

            That explains Webber got another contract after that incident… And another the year AFTER that…

          5. Rubbish. Gilles Villeneuve is definitely no weakling yet what was the incident that led to him eventually being killed in the following race – Imola 1982, where Didier Pironi IGNORED TEAM ORDERS TO HOLD POSITION, passed GV and won the race. And what does the world of F1 think of that incident? Do we all think that Pironi is a true racer? No, we all think he’s a tool.
            What this shows is the measure of the man Vettel is. Whenever it has suited him in the past he has been happy to have Mark follow him home according to pre-arranged deals. Now the circumstances change and all of a sudden those rules do not apply? Pre-race deals about holding position if possible after the final stop are commonplace. Newey was clearly not happy in the waiting room before the podium ceremony, and Mark made his feelings very clear on the podium. This has simply confirmed what I have always suspected about Vettel – when things do not go his way he acts like an absolute spoiled child. To be frank Mark should have jumped at Ferrari when he had the chance. At least there the heirachy is publicly defined…

          6. @clay

            Pre-race deals about holding position if possible after the final stop are commonplace.

            How do you know one was applied here, but not at Silverstone?

          7. I think you just hit the nail on the head.

        2. he didnt obey at all, he even admitted it, he just couldnt pass him

        3. @jakehardyf1 thing is… he didn’t, and he said so at the time.

        4. @jakehardyf1

          Yeah… No, not really.

        5. I was going to say, I think he was thinking back to when he’d done the same.

    2. I’m with you on that one.

    3. So you admire dishonesty? If Vettel didn’t want to follow team orders he shouldn’t have agreed to them before the race. And by your reasoning legends like Fangio and Giilles Villeneuve would be called weaklings.

      1. @marucat – you don’t have to admire it to think that for Seb and his championship hopes it was the right thing to do.

        1. So you’re saying ignoring the team orders you’ve agreed to while at the same time demanding from your team to get Webber out of your way is ok because it’s best for Seb and his championship chances (critical in the second race of the season)? That I’m supposed to respect dishonesty and egoism because they’re serving a driver’s cause to be the best?
          To each their own, but I prefer to respect drivers who don’t have to resort to that kind of behavior, even if that means they won’t win any championships while others win 7.

          1. No one (least of all me) is asking you to respect anything or anyone. I am merely pointing out that Seb came out better off in terms of the championship (and fans were better off in terms of the spectacle) than if the drivers had held station as they were until the end of the race. So I can understand why Vettel acted as he did, even if I don’t particularly like his actions.

            Oh, and championship points do not care about “respect”.

          2. @dirgegirl Webber should have put him in that pit-wall for this betrayal. He wasn’t obliged to give him that car’s length since he wasn’t weaving. Yeah that would be some fun for the fans, right? On the other hand, an overtake made by treachery against a driver who turned the engine down is not enjoyable at all. It’s like watching a boxer fight where one of them has a hand tied behind his back. SV made himself look like an **** today big time

      2. How do you know what Vettel agreed to or not? How can you be sure he ever looked into Webber’s eyes and said “I won’t try to overtake you if you are leading after the final pit stop.”? I doubt that ever happened.

        1. @flig
          when someone says : “we wiil discuss internally”
          ..this mean that it’s something we can’t discuss publically…

          1. Well, that doesn’t say anything. If I was Vettel, what I would “discuss internally” because it can’t be said in public is “I’m faster than you and I’ll overtake you any day I want to. Deal with it or get faster”.

          2. Indeed. I must take back all I said. Now I have to eat my words because that little punk is a liar and a backstabber.

        2. Are you really trying to argue that Vettel didn’t know about team orders? Both Horner and Marko have stated that it was decided before the race that whoever leads after the final pit stop would stay ahead. And Vettel wasnt shy about demanding from the team to order Mark out of his way earlier in the race either.

          I personally think team orders are rubbish, if you can’t overtake your teammate you don’t deserve to be in front of him, but that’s not the point. Vettel agreed and then decided to not keep to his word (or conveniently forgot about it) when it suited him. I don’t know what’s to respect about that. Especially since Vettel is obviously talented enough to win without resorting to dishonesty.

      3. Andover_Tabler
        24th March 2013, 11:29

        I can’t understand anyone defending Vettel. The two drivers drive for one team and they have to follow instruction. Much as I would love to see team orders banned again (and, perhaps, pit to car radios with them), you can’t have one team member disregarding the instructions given. Personally, I think Vettel should be treated to a holiday and Sebastien Buemi given a drive in China.

        1. I would love Red Bull to replace Vettel for a race as punishment. The problem is (and Vettel knows it) that Red Bull would never do that for several reasons. Not least because it is Vettel who has secured the last three drivers championships and scored a large chunk of their points in the constructors, without Vettel they would have a lot fewer championship titles than they now enjoy.

          Red Bull need to keep Vettel happy more than they need to keep Webber happy as Vettel will be in demand from the other big teams whereas Webber needs to fight to hold on to a top seat. Now that the old Massa seems to be on his way back Webber’s only decent exit, other than retirement, is closed.

          I thought that Vettel’s behavious was disgraceful but I suspect he knew all along that he could get away with it, but boy did I enjoy the wheel to wheel racing. The big risk for him is that he now has to try to win his fourth title without any support from his team-mate (with a risk of being intentionally hindered by Webber). That could cost him more than the extra 7 points he made up with his actions today.

    4. As @nomore says, drivers such as Vettel, Hamilton, probably even through to Senna and Prost could disobey orders and would probably get a telling off, but ultimately no more would come of it. Were Massa, Webber or Rosberg to do similar they’d be out of the team

      1. And do you have any idea why that is?

        1. Because they are from a different era than Prost & Senna

      2. @m77
        Webber has admittedly disobeyed team orders before and got his contract renewed afterwards. There is no reason why Vettel should hold back when Webber doesn’t.

        1. Except that Webber did hold back. He quite clearly let Vettel past at the end of their duel, rather than push him off track, which perhaps he should have done. Though the blame then would be entirely reversed if Vettel had crashed out.

    5. You fail to realize one thing, back then there was not NEARLY as much money on the line than nowadays.
      The reason why Vettel is allowed to sit in an F1 car is not only because he is a great driver, it’s mainly because companies are willing to puour hundreds of millions of Euros into this project and they hired him as their driver.
      Apparently he has not much respect for the people who gave him the job.

      1. Because he is a racer, not a prostitute.

        1. (With that I mean that he apparently risks his income and stability within the team in order to WIN, instead of doing what he is told for money. Of course, there’s the small matter of “protection”, which Alonso also has, but I think they have won that with sheer speed, not anything else.)

          1. (I’m not a big Vettel fan, or wasn’t, so you can be sure I also see the different treatment he gets, and I’m afraid he wouldn’t have the guts to do it if he was in Webber’s boots, but… he is in his own boots, and can do it.)

        2. @flig

          Because he is a racer, not a prostitute.

          COTY! :D

      2. Thanks @spankyspeed! @flig Are you following? Wether or not Vettel agreed is not even a question, it’s a decision made by his employer. If he had any respect for his team and the hundreds of ppl who work on those cars, he might of listened. I don’t agree with team orders, but unfortunately they are a reality that’s destroying racing as we know it.
        True racer or not, team orders destroyed this race.

        1. I’ll give you that, but I rather have a racer who has respect for the fans (thus RACING as hard as possible) than a man who follows money’s orders.

          1. It’s a dbl edged sword, I personally don’t know why Mark didn’t have a go back at him? We heard Sebs radio, but not Marks so we don’t really know what was said, but Mark’s reaction tells me he felt let down by the team and Seb. It’s robbing us of good racing, but at least these two had a battle, the comments made to Nico were ridiculous and embarrassing for Lewis. Lewis knew and should of pulled over. But once again team orders

          2. Yes, I think Webber – Vettel is not as bad as what happened to Rosberg. That was just ridiculous, and honestly… Ross Brawn doesn’t really care about racing, he cares about taking trophies and money home.

          3. Well without the money put into creating the car, managing the car, getting the car to the race tracks around the world SV wouldn’t be there. If you think that SV is within his rights to disobey direct instructions from his owners or bosses then I think you a sorely mistaken. The right thing for him to do is to respect the decisions of his employer – you know they guy/girl that gives him his job and pays his wages.

            If SV thinks he can disobey team orders when he wants, then maybe he should go out and put his own car and team together – put his own money on the line. Then I would agree he could follow or ignore his own decisions as he sees fit.

        2. @FunkyF1 So did you side with Ferrari after the 2010 German GP???

    6. There comes a point when ‘win at all costs’ mentality is childish and immature. Which your hero Senna certainly was; only now worshiped thanks to the equally childish obsession with the dead. To be so committed to this mentality really bring out the unsportsmanlike inner-egotist, which is a condition these pampered F1 drivers seem to suffer from. It’s also supposed to be team sport. After-all, half the reason Senna Prost and Vettel achieved your adoration is because superior equipment was handed them on a plate.

      1. My favorite was always Piquet, and I disliked Senna at times. And now I take it all back, with the new statements from Vettel. This just sucks.

      2. @mskii

        After-all, half the reason Senna Prost and Vettel achieved your adoration is because superior equipment was handed them on a plate.

        I disagree- they ended up with championship winning equipment because they performed well in non-superior cars. That’s largely how it works with the top teams- the cream rises to the top.

  5. Webber @ British GP 2011; does as he is told despite faster pace…

    Vettel completely opposite. THIS is why I am a Webber fan.

    1. Totally agree and dont forget Silverstone 2010 quali as well

    2. @jakehardyf1 – that’s not true.

      At Silverstone in 2011, Webber tried to overtake, but failed. In his own words, “I ignored the team and I was battling to the end.”

      Vettel has taken exactly the same decision as Webber. I agree with you that this is not how a good team works, but it is an issue common to both drivers.

      1. Vettel has taken exactly the same decision as Webber

        double standard,if he ignores team orders why he was whining at his team to let him pass Webber “Mark is too slow, get him out of the way !!!!!”

        1. @tifoso1989 What of it? I didn’t like it either, even more so as Seb is my favourite driver, but the team didn’t swap places, they didn’t instruct Webber to slow down – quite the contrary, they told Webber of Vettel’s pace and he started to lap quicker.

          I don’t want to get this personal, but don’t get me started on whining – Alonso has also done that many times.

          1. Alonso has also done that many times.

            Exactly That is why i mentioned it because for some people it always “diabolic” when it comes from Ferrari

    3. Webber didn’t do as told at Silverstone 2011. He tried to overtake Vettel inspite of team orders.Just as Vettel today.

      Only difference is that Webber failed that day but Vettel succeeded today.

    4. Rubbish- Did you not see Webber attacking Vettel in the last 3 laps of that race, he wasn’t gonna staty behind him.
      Webber gets all this nice guy sympathy and I don’t know why- he raced for himself at Brazil last year and almost cost Seb a title.
      Vettel surely knew the score and his ego got the better of him, but all this uproar just because its Seb is nauseating!

      1. I think that in that case the difference might have been BOTH drivers ignoring the team who told them to slow down and that might be why Webber couldn’t catch Vettel.

    5. Too right mate!

    6. @jakehardyf1 Webber is being such a hypocrite.The truth of the matter is that Webber is just not good enough for equal status at RB,he is number two and he knows it.If he was good enough he would leave RB for some other top team,but guess what,none of the top teams want him,because he’s not good enough.He likes to be at the top team scoring big points,but cant take it when Vettel beats him.Well you can’t have your cake and eat it too.And the team does not help the situation with there founey equel status story.As for halfass apology,if Vettel is gonna ignore team order and go for the win,he should own up to the situation,and not apologise to Webber.And if he’s going to do it,he should apologise for being faster then Webber.

      1. @kimster381 Total agreement.

  6. the protection. that’s the point. Webber and Vettel both ignored team orders but only Vettel passed Webber dangerously. Remember 2011 Silverstone. Webber never threat Vettel as Vettel did today. the difference is the protection. if Webber did it, then Webber would lost the seat in 2012 but I’m sure Red Bull simply cannot punish Vettel while Webber should yield somehow. That’s the end of story. Great job Red Bull. Your PR effort is ruined in a couple of minutes.

    1. @eggry – so Vettel’s move was dangerous but Webber pushing him right up against the pit walk isn’t? I think the one thing it wasn’t was dangerous though – they always gave each other enough room and have done so always since Turkey 2010.

      if Webber did it, then Webber would lost the seat in 2012 but I’m sure Red Bull simply cannot punish Vettel while Webber should yield somehow.

      What a ridiculous statement. Red Bull aren’t out to get their own drivers and have shown their dissatisfaction at Vettel’s antics, so why would that change with Webber? I think you’re basing your opinions in the team purely on Marko, which gives a far from accurate representation.

      Despite this, why would they want to break up a driver line-up that has yielded the triple double, with a lead driver who’s arguably the best in the world?

      1. with a lead driver who’s arguably the best in the world?

        50% of the credit goes to Newey. If Vettel has a dog of a car underneath him (like the F2012 – it was more than a second off the pace at the start of the 2012 season) and performs like Alonso last year, then he would earn my respect as the best driver. Until then, I would always look at him as a champion being carried on a shoulder by Newey.

        Just my opinion btw.

      2. with a lead driver who’s arguably the best in the world?

        50% of the credit goes to Newey. If Vettel has a dog of a car underneath him (like the F2012 – it was more than a second off the pace at the start of the 2012 season) and performs like Alonso last year, then he would earn my respect as the best driver. Until then, I would always look at him as a champion being carried on a shoulder by Newey.

        Just my opinion btw.

    2. @eggry – here’s another way of looking at it. When Webber ignored team orders in 2011, he wasn’t punished (or at least, not publicly). If Vettel is publically punished, wouldn’t that be double standards?

      I do believe that teams should work as teams. I have agreed with many of Ferrari’s orders and I understand where both Red Bull and Mercedes were coming from today. However I also believe in consistency and I think that’s been lacking today.

      Many fans who backed Webber’s ‘rebellion’ two years ago are now condemning Vettel today. Why? Well, really they just like one driver more than the other.

      We expect teams to treat their drivers fairly, but as fans we’re not doing the same.

      1. @smallvizierWebber never really made Vettel in danger while today Vettel almost crash with Webber(well, could be another Turkey 2010). Webber is known as an aggressive driver but he didn’t go aggressive due to team order situation+not enough fast to pass easily. Webber tried to pass but not as hard as Vettel did today because the difference of the protection. even if Vettel crashed with Webber today, I don’t think the team could do something to punish Vettel.(Again, Turkey 2010)

        1. @eggry

          If Webber had been in Vettel’s position today he would have tried the exact same thing Vettel did. I know it, you know it and Webber especially knows it.

          This hypocrisy needs to stop now. They’re racing drivers, they want to win no matter what they’re told.

        2. @eggry – they weren’t going to crash – if you watch the Red Bull Racing story, you’d see that they always give each other enough room after Turkey – firm but fair, which is great for viewing is it not?

          1. @vettel1 yeah, it might be. What really makes me disgusting is actually Vettel and Red Bull’s comments and hypocrisy.

          2. @eggry – he has admitted he was wrong to disobey the orders so from that it’s just opinio really whether you agree with his actions or not – I do because I think he was fast enough for the win over Webber, but I don’t like team orders so I’d obviously say that.

          3. @vettel1 “I didn’t do it deliberately” is the best comment since “That wasn’t me” of Schumacher. I don’t think that’s good way to apologise…

  7. I think Mark overreacted a bit. The team made it clear that they were quite angry with Vettel, so I don’t think he is going to get a lot of protection.

    1. Yeah, like what could the team do to Vettel? Put on an old front wing?

      1. A race suspension from the team would say do as we say pretty well I think.

        1. Only if they want to punish their 3xWDC over winning both championships again.

    2. He doesn’t need protection, he got the points

    3. The issue is not about protection the issue is that races will not be compromised due to the negative team dynamic within Redbull… I do not really care as it makes my team more competitive but its bad for the sport.

  8. These comments seem a bit pathetic to me. Answer him on track Webber, don’t cry about it to the press.

    1. +1. 2nd drivers should either stop complaining when they are treated like 2nd drivers, or they should stop being 2nd drivers and attack.

      1. Exactly Mark should disobey all team orders from now on and just attack Vettell at will.

    2. Don’t cry about it on radio either.

        1. Much like Vettel did, of course.

          1. @philereid – absolutely, your point being? I’m not one to heavy double standards – any radio complaints don’t sit well with me.

          2. @vettel1 Apologies, I just read it as a dig against one driver.

    3. How? The team changed his engine configuration he was not allowed to fight on the track, that’s simple … Well it is not team orders nor fair.

      1. Vettel needed to pass Webber when he was complaining that Mark was too slow. Then all this would have been avoided.
        Another thing I don’t get though, is Webber had the hard tyres that looked perfectly fine with the first stint on slicks, but pitted what seemed to be a couple of laps too early, I guess to get the under cut. Can’t help but think with these tyres you need to do what Kimi did In Melbourne, be patient.

      2. Sviatoslav Andrushko (@)
        24th March 2013, 11:07

        I remember, same was in Turkey 2010. Some fans has ridiculous opinions and they even try to look impartial.
        Just think of it: second race of a season, and we don’t see Ferrari doing THAT with Massa. So, which team is dishonest now?

        1. @ibis

          You’ve already forgotten the incident between Massa and Alonso in China in 2010? That was the third race and Massa was leading the championship after Australia.

          Not a single word from Ferrari to Alonso. And the fans? They all agreed Massa was only “in the way”.

          How’s that for fair treatment.

          1. * Edit* Alonso was leading the championsip but was only 4 points ahead of Massa.

        2. Very good point! Yet, nobody’s going to see that.

    4. Yup.. Run over Marko @ Shanghai in the Pit Lanes

    5. petebaldwin (@)
      24th March 2013, 11:02

      @vettel1 – I agree, Webber should ignore all team orders and attack Vettel as though he is any other driver from now on. If Vettel is leading the championship in the final race and Webber comes up behind him, he should be as agressive as he would against any other car.

      I think Webber has made a mistake in thinking that he has a team mate – he doesn’t and he has to learn very quickly that team orders mean nothing when driving a Red Bull. Look after yourself, not your “team mate”

      1. Precisely. And I would say that for Webber and Massa, this is a ‘last chance’. They are at the end of their careers, who wants to finish their F1 days being humiliated by their team mates even on the rare occasion that they might be faster? Just race like hell and show what you got, worst case scenario you go out with a bang, instead of the chubby pay check and the shame mark on your forehead.

        1. petebaldwin (@)
          24th March 2013, 11:12

          From what Mark was saying, I think this is going to be his last season. On that basis, he needs to go 100% flat out all year for himself. He can go out on a high or out on a low. Would it be a high for him if Vettel wins his 4th Championship? No.
          Come on Mark, make it happen for yourself from now on!

        2. You make it sound so simple, Vettell is a highly protected species at RBR, Mark is not, it makes a huge difference.

      2. @petebaldwin

        If Vettel is leading the championship in the final race and Webber comes up behind him, he should be as agressive as he would against any other car.

        I wouldn’t go as far as to say that (if he isn’t in championship contention himself) but that is a very adverse circumstance – on every other occasion absolutely he should just ignore them, as long as he doesn’t take out himself and Vettel in the process I have no problems with that whatsoever (and neither would almost every fan of F1). The team may not like it, but who cares frankly.

        1. petebaldwin (@)
          24th March 2013, 12:06

          Why would he care about Vettel winning the Championship? He should care about the constructors championship and his WDC campaign. Vettel winning the title or not is irrelevant to him.

          1. @petebaldwin – it is, but if he’s out of contention the team would still like the trophy and he’d have to respect that I’d imagine.

    6. @Vettel1..

      You are right.. Webber should Stop crying and stop behaving like a victim all the time.. I dont blame Vettel for passing him coz Vettel looked faster of the two…..

      However I dont see people making too much of an issue of Vettel demanding over the team radio to let him past webber earlier in the race… I am wondering what would be the reaction Had that been Alonso asking the same thing …

    7. I think people are misreading the situation badly. The Red Bull team were seriously annoyed with Vettel, much more than I expected. This was before Webber had a chance to say much – it came from the team itself. Newey looked truly annoyed/disappointed. So what was the deal? Perhaps Red Bull have decided that this year Webber really finally does deserve an equal go at the championship. Vettel taking advantage cynically of team orders to control their pace /tyre wear really was a bit shoddy therefore. Hence the umbrage and Vettel’s hasty and rather full apology.

    8. He did answer on track, but the team (the bosses) told to him to chill out and bring the car home safely…

      Please guys see it for what it is…

    9. Max,that is an answer too far, the only reason Vettel was in a position to challenge Webber was that for several laps Webber had been following team orders to slow down to protect the engine and the tyres, Webber could have driven faster but was under orders not to. To launch a sneak attack on Webber like that just shows me the greedy, selfish, dishonest Seb of 2010 all over again. He is no gentleman and no amount of PR massaging will make me respect him again.

      Now that’s over, it was the best bit of racing I have seen for sometime, just a pity Webber wasn’t ready for it.

  9. Revenge for the start at Brazil 2012?

    1. I thought exactly the same!

  10. “In the end Seb made his own decisions today and will have protection as usual and that’s the way it goes.”

  11. “It was Christian [Horner] who said we have to look after the tyres and stay in position,” he added. “But then I don’t know how… he was immediately behind him and then there was a race and at this stage you can’t talk to race drivers.”

    That is exactly what Webber meant.. If he was the one who had overtaken Vettel, Marko would have been all over his ****.

  12. Webber was cheated by his team, that’s all. They changed his engine config and they made him lose the race.

    At least Mercedes was clear and did not lie their drivers. RedBull is just a gang, not a team, it should not be allowed to lie and cheat your own driver, they could cause an accident.

    1. Red Bull told their drivers the race is to the final pit stop, then you turn down and come home. They told both drivers to turn down and bring it home, not just Webber. When Seb disobeys and attacks Webber, the team get on the radio and call it silly and try to stop him.

      I don’t see how that’s Red Bull cheating Webber and making Vettel win. If anything, I think this weekend has shown that Red Bull aren’t just backing one driver: they were perfectly happy letting Webber take the win.

      So kudos to Red Bull, boo to Seb.

      1. With Alonso out of the race,they are.Otherwise they would sabotage Webber one way or the other,nuff said …

  13. Gloomiest podium I have ever seen….

  14. “It’s not like at Mercedes where it’s clear number one and number two, basically we treat the drivers the same.”

    Someone should let Nico know that…

    1. I thought Ros did a pretty good job of that.

    2. ““It’s not like at Mercedes where it’s clear number one and number two, basically we treat the drivers the same.”

      Very very **** poor attempt at taking the high ground.

      Redbull TRIED to control their driver, it didnt work. To then have a stab at your rival team because their driver knows how to obey an order, is very weak of you Mr Marko.

      1. To me it sounded like clever thinking of Marko to get a dig in at the expense of a competitor and at the same time diverting attention to their own situation. Amazingly even Marko couldn’t find much good to say about how Vettel took that win!

  15. “The team will have a word because we have to control the drivers. It’s not like at Mercedes where it’s clear number one and number two.”

    Even when he is in a defending position he is attacking the others

    “basically we treat the drivers the same”

    I didn’t know how much of a comedian he was

    1. These 2 statements say it all about Marko!
      Red Bull used to be a funny team, once they started wining they became like Ferrari or the Schumacher era.
      I am just wondering what they have to say about the tyres that “hurt them because they have the best car” now that they got a 1-2…

    2. With that guy in your avatar, it’s not like you have much to shout about either.

  16. Team Photo @Red Bull has been cancelled .. LOL!!!

    1. Nobody would be smiling to the camera, I guess.

  17. Mark is right: nothing is going to happen to Vettel. But I wonder about the effects of having a rotten environment inside the team after only two races.

  18. It seems the only 2 Lead Drivers who get respect from their Team Mates are Alonso and Kimi…

    1. Tells you somehing doesnt it?

    2. What do you call the way Grosjean complains that he doesn’t have the same parts as Raikkonen, then?

    3. They were both comprehensively beaten by their teammates last year also: being a nice guy doesn’t get you far in this sport.

      1. @vettel1
        Who was beaten by his teammate ?

        1. It should read they both comprehensively beat their teammates @nomore but basically what I was getting across is that you can interpret “respect” as a lack of competitiveness. Webber was much closer to Vettel last year than Massa was to Alonso or Grosjean to Räikkönen, which coincides with this “respect”.

          I think it boils down simply to if you are competitive with your teammate, your inevitably going to put up a stronger challenge and have less regard for team orders et all.

          1. @vettel1
            Losing to your teammate is one thing.
            Having respect for your teammate is another thing.

            There are two separate different thing.

          2. @nomore – and I think they do: having respect for your teammate isn’t the same as liking or getting along well with your teammate.

          3. @vettel1
            What @sonkky was telling is that Massa and Grosjean have more respect for Alonso and Raikkonen than Webber have for Vettel.

            And i agree with his opinion…you can disagree that’s your opinion.

          4. @nomore – I too agree with him, but I have a feeling I don’t agree with his opinion on the reason for this. I respect you may differ with me on that.

  19. “Of course Mark’s going to be aggrieved by it but the instructions were clear, they were clear for all to hear, and the drivers have taken it into their own hands.”

    The drivers

  20. Is there a chance that Vettel’s pass was illegal? I mean, he crossed the track’s right white line and put his whole car in the pit lane’s line. Check out for yourselves.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89gXacHLgi0

    1. @carbon_fibre The pit lane exit is part of the track, he’s absolutely fine.

  21. “The team will have a word because we have to control the drivers. It’s not like at Mercedes where it’s clear number one and number two, basically we treat the drivers the same.”

    Yeah, sure you do Helmut…

  22. petebaldwin (@)
    24th March 2013, 11:07

    “It’s not like at Mercedes where it’s clear number one and number two, basically we treat the drivers the same.”

    Well done Helmut – another classic! Either you told Seb to stay behind and he didn’t (as your team say) or you didn’t. All Mercedes did was the same as you but their drivers followed instruction (although they did whine about it!)

  23. So what some people actually complain about is that we had racing in stead cruising around in final stages? Weird.
    Hats of for SV I kinda expected Nico to do it, and I wish Felipe could have grown some “cojoes” and do more of this.

    1. It would have been better if Webber had fought back.. At the end, Mark just yielded position with a Turned Down Engine

      1. Really he wasn’t? So Vettel jumped him in one of the corners and took the lead effortlessly? And Webber didn’t try to pass Vettel on straight line on very next lap after he lost P1?

        1. Did he? I’m not so sure. Seems more like he just showed a wheel to say ‘yeah I can drive this fast too’, but then backed off immediately after that

    2. but they were told not to fight, al well and good saying people complaining but what im complaining about is the fact that webber was mislead so didnt push. the team should have just let them race WITHOUT telling webber vettel is not going to overtake. its the team that have stitched mark over and vettel ust added to it and showed what a silly little kid he is, i do hope he doesnt need marks help this season as he has the previous three!

    3. @geekracer2000 – you just can’t please some people. They will continue to loathe everything Vettel does, whatever he does.

      1. @vettel1 And it’s quite curious that you feel the need to defend him all the time.One would think that if he was doing the right thing,he wouldn’t need so much defending …

        1. @kimster381 – you would, but apparently winning dominantly isn’t the right thing, or racing through from pit lane to podium isn’t the right thing. It’s not just to do with questionable actions (of which other drivers have had plenty of also).

      2. This idiotic and selfish act has singlehandedly demeaned all of his other wins .. and just what team wants a driver they cannot control?

        Competitive? Without a doubt ..
        Fast? Without a doubt, as he was able to keep up with Webber throughout the race when they were similarly equipped.
        Stupid? Unquestionably and he will be paying for this transparent act for a long time
        Selfish? Check Check Check ..

  24. mostly surprised to see mark come out of the pits and seb to be right on his ring
    on lap 45, before seb pitted mark was 5s clear
    what happened in 2 laps to allow a 5s turnaround?

    1. @Pockets – It is as they said and i Quote “Mark turn down your engines…”

      1. @jjjj – so now Mark Webber’s car has more than one engine?! Wow!

        1. no…Webber was backing off, vettel chose not to

    2. Horner told Webber “I bet you 5 mil that you can’t be 5 seconds slower this lap”…
      true story …

      1. heh
        being a vindictive man, i’d be very tempted to back vettel into traffic anytime i was infront of him from this point on. unlikely given webbers usual position

    3. The older tyres were going off, at that point it looked like pitting earlier was the better strategy.

  25. Knowing that WEB, as agreed, had turned down his engine after the last stop, VET took the opportunity to first close the gap and then mount an attack. WEB probably not aware what was going on until VET was along him. This is not racing, not even dirty racing- it is pure disgrace to accept to take a position by stabbing your opponent in the back like that.
    I hear now that VET, in post race interview, is denying he knew that WEB had turned down his engine. VET is, if you choose to believe him, the only member in that team, that did not know… Obviously, not only does he actively take an unfair advantage in order to get in front, he will also lie while looking his fans in the eyes. Way to go “champ”!

  26. Webber is an always looser either because of bad luck or team politics or his own mistakes.
    This is his own mistake, there was no need to continue with a team where Seb is clearly no 1.

    1. @alokin – I disagree, he just hasn’t been able to cement himself as the lead driver because Vettel is better. And lets be honest, he’s finished after he leaves Red Bull – he won’t get another seat that’s capable of winning the title as the Red Bull has been the past three years.

  27. So after the last pit-stop the RedBull drivers got the following messages from the pit-wall:
    Mark – turn down the engine, save tires, save fuel we’re gonna finish in this position
    Seb – push push push you can get him!
    I don’t know if this is so much Vettel’s fault as it was the team’s. Maybe they were given completely different messages. Although Seb was ‘good’ too: “Get him out of the way!”. The same man who was mocking Ferrari for this now does exactly the same. What a hypocrite.
    And then comes Marko and puts the icing on the cake – accuses Mercedes of having a clear No1. RedBull should stick their noses into their a…s right now not finger-point at other teams.

    1. @klaas

      And now the hypocrites who said nothing when Alonso pushed Massa into the gravel are screaming at the top of their longs…

      1. @f1fannl I think every team has the right to adopt which driver policy they want to, but they shouldn’t finger-point at others and accuse them of playing the same tricks as they do. It’s called hypocrisy and in RedBull’s case it’s growing out of proportion. All their succeses are being marred by their stinking attitude. They are no better than Ferrari after Hockenheim 2010. At leas Ferrari admit they have a No 1, but here you get Horner and Marko lying without blinking.

        1. At leas Ferrari admit they have a No 1, but here you get Horner and Marko lying without blinking.

          No they don’t! They even went as far as to say Massa gets equal treatment. And lets not forget the “for sure we don’t have teamorders.”

  28. There’s only outrage here because its Vettel…
    Kubica got given a win over Heidfeld in Canada 2008- no-one complains

    1. @91jb12 The lowest-rated race we ever had on F1 Fanatic was when Massa was ordered to give a win to Alonso:

      Rate the race: 2010 German Grand Prix

      So I don’t agree “there’s only outrage here because its Vettel”.

  29. ShaneB457 (@shaneb12345678910)
    24th March 2013, 11:30

    Webber said that he was told twice that the cars were saving tyres and that he was safe from attack, and Vettel said that he wasnt told at all? Whats going on? I’m not into conspiracies or anything, but why didnt Red Bull tell both drivers that they had to settle down and maintain position?

    Yes I want to see two teammates battle each other, but over the years Webber has had to put up with so much. Being told to maintain position in Silverstone 2011 and of course the front wing incident in 2010. Not to mention how he was largely blamed for the incident in Turkey 2010 while Vettel had Horner’s and Newey’s arms around his shoulders on the pit wall after the incident. Ugh it is frustrating..

    1. @shaneb12345678910

      Vettel never said he wasn’t told… Also we could hear during the live feed Red Bulls instructions to Vettel. They were very clear.

      Vettel did a Webber @ Silverstone 2011. He ignored the orders. Just like Webber would have done.

      1. er, webber was a tool in that race to disobey
        however vettel was 80 points clear in the championship, and webber fighting for 2nd spot (equal with button at the time)
        this just leads onto how much you can trust your team. why would you trust your team telling you to save fuel later on, if it places you under pressure. 5s lead on your teammate with 10 laps left is game over

        1. Webber was going slower throughout the race, not only the stints where he was told to look after the car. He never had any advantage over Vettel and he would have never been in front if Red Bull had done a better job with Vettel’s first pitstop. It was the right time to change to slicks but pitting him so he would rejoin just in front of a group of cars on cold tyres on a cold, damp track was stupid really. They know exactly hoiw much time a pitstop costs (save for problems during the stop itself of course) so this was all on the team.

          At the end Vettel was always going to attack because he felt, rightly so, that he was the better driver and more deserving of the race victory.

  30. First of all, I don’t think that it is fair to judge drivers comments so soon after the race. I have never been a fan of interviews straight after the event, it’s unfair on the drivers as they are either on a high or a low. I think there should be a cooling off period before any interviews are allowed to take place to let drivers calm down and analyse the situation.

    Regarding said incident, many comments say Mark is weak number 2 driver for doing as team told. Do these people hold Gilles Villeneuve in the same regard? Also you have to remember that both Webber and Vettel are employed by Red Bull Racing and thus if told to obey an order then they should.

    Following Mark’s interview, I have to say it sounds like he has had enough and it sounded very much like an admission of retiring but that may just be the raw feeling of what has happened and hope a few days of relaxation might calm him down and defuse the situation.

    The bigger question should be, does team orders help F1? Should we just get rid of the WCC and just have a WDC? Should we just have the WCC and be gone with WDC? Team orders will always apply in F1, we just have to hope these instances don’t occur to often because in my opinion it damages the sport more than it helps.

  31. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    24th March 2013, 11:44

    “… It’s not like at Mercedes where it’s clear number one and number two, basically we treat the drivers the same.”

    Annnnnnd once again, Helmut Marko proves that Red Bull shouldn’t allow him near a microphone.

    1. @tophercheese21
      I agree. I have no idea why Dietrich Mateschitz hasn’t already taped him to a char in the back of the garage.

  32. Funny thing is there are so many people supporting Vettel today and yet if the had the positions been reversed and had it been Webber who overtook Vettel, people would be crying foul like hell.

    1. Look at the comment section on this article.
      https://www.racefans.net/2011/07/10/webber-red-bulls-order-pass-vettel/
      Mostly its supportive of Webber’s actions.

    2. Funny thing is there are so many people supporting Vettel today

      What? Where are these masses you speak of?

  33. Mark lost it all by himself with that awful in lap. I was pro Mark whenever he ignored orders, so Vettel did the only right thing he raced. Though Vettel haters gonna have a field day with this race.

  34. Disclaimer: I am a Webber fan. I HATE team orders!!!!!

    Usually Malaysia is one of my favorite races of the year- 6pm Sunday night in Australia- social.
    I was disgusted by the last 15 laps today. At the time Vettel passed Mark i was unhappy, but well within his right and faster- or so I thought! These guys need to be able to race. BUT if the guys (and I dont see why not to believe so) were told to turn down the engines and then Seb ignored and went by anyway it proves my thoughts and why SO MANY people respect his driving BUT NOT his morals as a person. He is normally a real bubbly guy on the podium- Today he was not. Horner was not happy and while Newey did not yell, that was easily the most unhappy I have seen the guy!!! VERY POOR FORM SEB!! Dont like team orders but do as you are told!!

    Lewis & Nico- I hate this one as much!!!!!!!!! If Lewis needed to preserve fuel and Nico not- TOO BAD!!. This was worse I think and was very happy to see Lewis acknowledge the fact on the podium – but not Seb.

    I have no issue with Seb winning but they way he went about it- as said if Mark did that today Marko would call for a public hanging!

  35. Stop Mark. Please. Stop.
    Yes Vettel took advantage of the situation, but so did he in Silverstone 2011. Where Webber had been given the priority at the pitstop and therefore had better tyres, but even when the team told him to hold back he certainly did not. He even admitted it afterwards, and seemed proud of it. And he wasn’t, at least not publicly, punished for it.
    Now Vettel disobeys team orders and it’s oh so unfair apparently.
    Hypocrites are everywhere, but I thought that Mark Webber was better then that…

  36. I found this race to be very gripping and at times too gripping that it left me strangled for words . Then, I thought about it for a while . On one hand I liked the action that was displayed by the “bullfight” on track but on hindsight disliked the “PR like” comments from Vettel . Having said that , I disliked the Mercedes issue as well . I thought that Rosberg should have been allowed to pass hamilton in the drs zones . I really don’t know why Ross behaved like that . OK, so you may be questioning me saying that I contradict myself . Here are my points
    1) I don’t like double standards . If both webber and vettel were allowed to race without anybody moving over , I would have been ok with vettel winning. But , having asked webber to move over using your team’s influence on him and then disobeying your team is much more like ” taking advantage of a person when you need them and then dumping them later “.
    2) I hate Lies. As someone put it earlier , why tell Rosberg that Lewis could go faster when he clearly he couldn’t and why can’t Rosberg just pass Lewis on the straights ? Where is the danger in that . What was the point ? Had Mercedes made the mistake of fuel allocation and hence saw right to give Lewis the position ? If it was Lewis’ mistake , then Rosberg deserves better.

    Though I admired his guts last season(Brazil and the early races of the season) and always admit that he is a very good driver , I kind of hate his “stubborn” attitude . Vettel is a charm as long as he is on top , otherwise he has the attitude of a beast .I hope for the sake of staunch vettel fans like @vettel1 , that vettel becomes better with age like many others have. Maybe he can take a cue from his mentor Schumi on how not get agitated when one looses.
    My wishes for this year
    1) I don’t want Vettel as champion ( this is most likely though )
    2)I want Webber to beat Vettel at the final standings (as unlikely as ever )

    1. Team orders are a part of Formula 1 its nothing new. This is well documented in the days of Schumacher and Barrichelo in the hey days of Ferrari. So its nothing new. The key thing is this there needs to be a unity of vision within a team. The team is more important than the driver. The driver is only 1 part of the team. He is employed and paid a salary to do drive the car as he is told by the team principle. The driver does not own the car, he does not develop the car, he/she merely drives the car. To not obey your superiors is rude and is tantamount treason. (Excuse the emotive language)

      1. Exactly . But “using team orders” is by itself terrible , but using them when you want and then disobeying your team is terrible . what would have happened if RBR had said “No seb , We will not ask mark to back off , you see what you can do ” before the second stint . Would vettel have come so close to webber . Maybe. maybe not. That is why I repeatedly state that vettel is No.1 and Webber is No.2 for Red Bull. The reason why they did not want seb to close in on webber was that , he had done well in the race , led most laps,helped out seb to go ahead of the mercs and therefore deserved the win . More so , maybe because they knew that the chances for vettel to have a collision is high . He is terrible in wheel to wheel racing with a car with similar pace .SO they did not want to risk it.

  37. So. People who complain. Ask what Senna would have done.

    1. And being like Senna makes it right? Besides I be that if Senna and Prost had been given orders to turn the motors down (there was no such reason back then because you were allowed as many motors and tires as you wanted) I bet Senna would have complied, albeit reluctantly. Senna was enough of a MAN to want to win on even terms, not by out motoring his teammate.

      1. exactly . Besides he would have blitzed the field in such superior machinery . There would be no room for team orders

    2. They know what Senna would have done but will reply with “That was a totally different era and circumstances.” Or some other donkey doodoo that has nothing to do with the question.

      If it had been Senna he would have passed Webber, aggressively.
      He would have left Webber 2 options;
      – 1. Yield and live to fight another day.
      – 2. Make contact and take them both out of the race.

      1. Senna would not have said on the radio ” mummy ! please ask mark to slow down as he is slow already ” He would have **** , driven the wheels of the Red Bull and beat webber fair and square .

      2. Agreed @f1fannl. The real problem is its all about the money and glory nowadays. Too much at stake to let the best man win unfortunately.

        1. @hendrix666

          I agree, although the best man still won.

          If Webber had been faster up to the fourth stint I would have understood Webber´s anger. But he was not. In fact he almost cost Vettel the podium in the the third stint.

  38. For me, the problem doesn’t lie with Vettel overtaking Mark. It’s the fact Webber was told specifically to turn his engine down (and presumably, so was Vettel) and by obeying he lost out on a likely win.

    1. What do you want to bet that Webber didn’t turn his engine down at all.

      He came out of the pits and Vettel was immediately alongside him. At what stage could he possibly have turned his engine done during his fight with Vettel.

      1. Because webber isn’t a liar like vettel .He speaks the truth !

        1. @hamilfan

          He said he turned his engine down. He didn´t say when he did that.

          1. And you think vettel drove 5secs faster in the lap webber pitted? I know vettel is fast, but didnt know he was superman fast! :)

  39. I hate to say it, but I think Vettel will end up a 5-times WDC.

  40. Vettel will apologize all he wants but in his mind, he achieved a +14 turn around in points over a major rival. That is what is important to him. To hell with the consequences.

    1. He has lost the respect of his peers and his team based on today’s proceedings… I am not even bringing his fans into this….

  41. For me, the fact that Vettel ignored team orders in today’s race isn’t that big a deal since both of them have ignored orders in other races. But I think Vettel had a bit of a diva attitude over team radio. He has showed he’s got what it takes to become a world champion, three times in a row even. So what’s with the attitude? Why didn’t he just overtake Webber since he was supposedly faster? I think it was really disrespectful towards his team mate and sounded rather desperate to me, I’m not really sure why. It’s not the first time he’s said more than he should’ve on team radio…

    1. Exactly correct Oana. If he couldn’t pass Webber in equal equipment then where does he get off railing on Webber?

      It’s seems obvious that Vettel is not just out to win .. he is also out to destroy Webber quite publicly, with things like the remark about Mark holding everyone up .. for knowledgeable F1 fans that was a laughable comment, showing far more about Vettel than Webber.

  42. The bottom line is this if Vettel wants to drive for himself and not take the team into account, he should start his own team and not rely on the resources of others to win his races.

    The team is bigger than the individual always!

    1. @maqashalala

      With the WDC holding more value for a team and especially the drivers you will always have these situations.

      There’s a reason Ferrari’s main goal is to win the WDC.

  43. The only thing I am sure is that Vettel today lost any possibility to get any help from Webber during the championship and doing that in the second race is simply stupid.

    1. The same help that Webber has given him the last three years? Vettel has proved previously that he can win a championship without Webber’s help. There is no reason why he shouldn’t be able to do that again.

  44. As I recall, Webber is on probation with the team for supposedly not getting out of Vettel’s way quickly enough in Brazil ’12. If Red Bull want to be fair, they’d do the same to Vettel now.

    And the comparisons between him and Senna are ludicrous. If Senna was stuck behind Prost, he would not have whined down the radio “Alain is too slow, get him out my way”.

    1. @jackysteeg

      Webber is on probation with the team for supposedly not getting out of Vettel’s way quickly enough in Brazil ’12

      According to who?

  45. Sometimes i feel that we are being robbed of true racing , we are so early in the season and to have such team orders by Red bull and Mercedes its not good for the sport they should have been left to race it out where are the days May the best Man win” Sebastian apologized and so did Hamilton however it should not come to this……… THEY NEED TO PRACTISE WHAT A GREAT DRIVER ONCE SAID

    “if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, we are competing to win”

    1. @dexterous

      “if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, we are competing to win”

      While I feel that, that quote is often used as an excuse to crash into someone, in this situation it makes perfect sense.
      If Vettel was prepared to let a victory go just because it would be nice of him, then he wouldn’t be a three times world champion.
      You just cannot have a driver who is both prepared to let wins and points go, AND be good enough to be on the same level as the best in their time. You just cannot have that in a single driver.
      That is why so many teams in the past have had one driver to do the winning, and one driver to “take one, and another, and another” for the team.
      I think Red Bull should realize that they have signed Vettel to do the winning, and Webber to do the hanging on.
      While that doesn’t mean they should force Webber out of the way to give Vettel what he want, I don’t like it when teams do that. They just cannot expect him to be the one to take one for the team.

  46. Mark Webber said there will be no repercussions for Sebastian Vettel after disobeyed an order not to pass him during the Malaysian Grand Prix.

    What repercussions can there be? The last time a team took matters into their own hands to deal with a matter like this was at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2007, and the FIA did not appreciate they way they addressed it.

    So Red Bull are really damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Without some kind of visible consequence for Vettel, the public perception will be that the team will continue to favour him through hell and high water, and Vettel will probably feel that he carries enough clout within the team to ignore this kind of instruction again in future. But with visible consequences, Red Bull will likely open themselves up to sanctions from the FIA, and it will be very difficult to explain their actions away, even without the storm of negative publicity that is brewing. The FIA didn’t accept Ron Dennis’ explanation that their cars were out of sequence when Hamilton ignored an order in Hungary back in 2007, so I very much doubt they will accept any explanation here.

  47. Well one thing for sure .. Vettel couldn’t handle Webber today without adding more engine .. Webber had Vettel covered under identical racing situations.

    The real question is .. What is Horner and Co going to do to regain some team control? Perhaps wipe out any bonus for Vettel for the season should it happen again? I don’t know, but one thing is clear .. Vettel does not have the interest of the team at heart and they are going to have to reel him is somehow. They have got to find a way to make him hurt because they cannot afford a season to go like this race went. It’s unsustainable.

    1. @breezyracer

      Funny, you and I must have been watching a different race.
      In every stint Vettel was faster than Webber. He was so in the first on the intermediates but lost out to Red Bulls poor pitstop call.
      He was faster in the second closing the gap to under 2 seconds before being left to pit after Webber allowing Webber to pull away again. In the third stint he closed the gap again and got within the DRS zone. Hamilton and Rosberg also closed the gap and when Hamilton pitted Webber was allowed to react first leaving Vettel a sitting duck for both Mercedes’. Luckily for Vettel though, Rosberg hit traffic on his outlap and couldn’t quite jump Vettel and Vettel than began closing down on Hamilton, overtook Hamilton and closed the gap to 3 seconds on Webber before pitting. In no part of the race, engine up or down, did Webber have the advantage over Vettel. He had the advantage of superior pitstop calls and first come first serve.

      1. Oh ! I thought vettel started from pole . So if he did , then how did he fall back ? Wrong pit strategy ? Vettel has a say in that too . When it rains you can make the calls . So what if he was faster , he still could not pass webber before the team orders kicked in .IMO webber drove a great race and deserved to win

        1. @hamilfan

          Wrong pit strategy ? Vettel has a say in that too .

          Yes he did. The team asked him to give them the shout for the crossover. Vettel called it right. But Vettel couldn’t possibly know there’s a group of cars some 20 seconds back that would have meant trouble if he pitted. The team does, they can see all cars on the track with timing. They deemed it safe to pit Vettel when it wasn’t safe. Therefore it was the teams mistake.

          In my race Webber kept a safe lead over whinners that complained Webber was slow but strangely couldn’t catch him

          Than you need new glasses fast. A safe lead is not letting your opponents (even if they are teammates) get within the DRS zone. In the first stint Vettel was pulling away. In the second stint Vettel reduced the gap from more than 4 seconds to under 2 seconds. In the third stint he got within the DRS zone and Hamilton and Rosberg managed to catch up as well. In the fourth stint he passed Hamilton and closed down to 3 seconds on Webber after being some 8 seconds behind on Webber after the stops.

          So yeah, Webber was slower. Especially in the third stint although that’s probably because Webber wanted Hamilton and Rosberg to jump Vettel. Then, when Vettel got close he ‘suddenly’ picked up pace. He allowed Hamilton to jump Vettel and probably felt the job was done at that point. Then he came out of the pits with Vettel right next to him and we know the rest.

      2. Yes, perhaps we were watching a different race. In my race Webber kept a safe lead over whinners that complained Webber was slow but strangely couldn’t catch him .. go figure ..

  48. “The team will have a word because we have to control the drivers. It’s not like at Mercedes where it’s clear number one and number two, basically we treat the drivers the same.”

    Red Bullll

  49. TwilightBlues
    24th March 2013, 18:21

    Couple of comments: Webber has pushed a lot of people to the edge, and caused more than a few wrecks. His move toward Vettel on the straight was pretty touchy. Anything could have happened. He is slower than Vettel, normally, and if the team has to split them up, I submit Vettel will get the nod. My opinion is that he shouldn’t make Vettel pay during the race or after. He should take it up with the principals, after a cool down, with Vettel there.
    My dad was a race car driver, and got killed. I always think that people fail to remember that all these drivers are risking their lives, there are millions of dollars at stake, and emotions run very, very high. Unless you know what it’s like, it’s very difficult to see into their heads, and I submit all 4 of the front finishers wish they had handled things differently. As well as at least one of the Ferrari drivers.
    I love F1.
    –a follower since the 1950’s

  50. Other than a verbal reprimand, what sort of repercussions could Vettel possibly face?

    1. @schooner

      None, there are no rules against winning in F1.

      At least none that I’m aware of.

      1. Clearly you don’t work on Massa’s side of the garage…

  51. Honestly Mark, give what you get. Look at all the great F1 drivers, they take no quarter. What is the worst thing that tcan happen?
    1) You start winning and the public loves you because you have balls and Oh, you are winning.
    or
    2) Red Bull tells you it is time to move on.
    At least you CALLED the game as you wanted to.
    Mark don’t drift into the hall of “gee I could have been if only”. Show you have the spirit of a greayt racer. We all know you are one of the best. Get over being the nice guy and it will start to happen, one way or another.

  52. Its not about the driver’s people… Its about the team… Can’t people understand that F1 is a team sport not an individual sport… These drivers get paid to drive… They are there to take orders, they do not pay the engineers or any costs for that matter… They are employees… They have no long to stand on. They must do as they are told… Just like in football and any other team sport…

    1. Hmmm, yes it is about teamwork but when one player does not play for the team do they get sidelined? No, they get to go down in the hall of fame for being a great driver.

      Look at all history, the great drivers were not all nice guys. They were hard edged competitors wanting to win at all costs. This is what it takes to be a great driver. Balancing the push to the limit in all aspects.

      Now if I were in the position I would probably push the limits and , please don’t tell me this does not happen all the time in motor sport. It is what fans look forward to!

  53. Callsemlikeiseesem
    25th March 2013, 17:42

    Webber is a nothing but a hypocrite.

    What about the last race in 2012? Vettel was racing for the title and Webber attacked him against the team’s explicit orders. Isn’t that, like, unfair and stuff? And that wasn’t the first time, either (e.g. Silverstone 2011). The only difference is that Vettel actually managed to pass Webber in Kuala Lumpur, while Webber spun out in Sao Paulo.

    So please, Mark, spare me your whining and bitching. If you’re not willing to stick to the rules, don’t expect others to. Actually you should be grateful that you didn’t get a penalty for pushing Vettel against the wall. Schumacher was penalised 10 grid places when he did the same to F1’s then resident cry-baby Rubens Barrichello…

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