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Adapted from GMM
F1 erupted in controversy on Sunday, after Sebastian Vettel ignored a team order to win the Malaysian grand prix.
The German and his teammate Mark Webber were issued a codeword over the radio that meant something along the lines of 'hold position', while the leading Red Bull driven by Webber was nursing his car and tyres to the victory.
"Multi-21, Seb," Webber angrily shrugged at Vettel just before going onto the podium to accept his trophy for second place.
"You've got some explaining to do," his engineer said after the chequered flag.
Paddock rumours began to emerge that Vettel, realizing the gravity of his actions once the adrenaline of racing had calmed, had apologized to Webber, but the Australian was refusing to accept it.
In his podium interview with Martin Brundle, Webber predicted that Vettel would be "protected as usual" by Red Bull rather than punished.
But bosses Christian Horner, and even Dr Helmut Marko, agreed that the triple world champion and new championship leader had done the wrong thing.
"We let the drivers race until the final pitstop," said Horner, arguing that after that, the team's interest is "bigger" than the drivers'.
Vettel was apologetic.
"I did a big mistake and I'm not proud of it," he told reporters. "I can't change it now. It's not a victory I'm proud of. It should have been Mark's."
The fallout could be significant. Some interpreted Webber's following comments as a threat to leave the team. He said he would go home to Australia in the break between now and China to "take my medicine.
"It is still very raw," he said on British television Sky. "We'll see if the medicine cures it.
"To be honest, a lot of things were going on in my mind in the last 15 laps of the race.
"It's very hard for people to understand the situation, they think they know what went on but they don't," Webber continued.
"It puts a lot of heat on certain people."
F1 erupted in controversy on Sunday, after Sebastian Vettel ignored a team order to win the Malaysian grand prix.
The German and his teammate Mark Webber were issued a codeword over the radio that meant something along the lines of 'hold position', while the leading Red Bull driven by Webber was nursing his car and tyres to the victory.
"Multi-21, Seb," Webber angrily shrugged at Vettel just before going onto the podium to accept his trophy for second place.
"You've got some explaining to do," his engineer said after the chequered flag.
Paddock rumours began to emerge that Vettel, realizing the gravity of his actions once the adrenaline of racing had calmed, had apologized to Webber, but the Australian was refusing to accept it.
In his podium interview with Martin Brundle, Webber predicted that Vettel would be "protected as usual" by Red Bull rather than punished.
But bosses Christian Horner, and even Dr Helmut Marko, agreed that the triple world champion and new championship leader had done the wrong thing.
"We let the drivers race until the final pitstop," said Horner, arguing that after that, the team's interest is "bigger" than the drivers'.
Vettel was apologetic.
"I did a big mistake and I'm not proud of it," he told reporters. "I can't change it now. It's not a victory I'm proud of. It should have been Mark's."
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| Was Malaysia 2010 the final blow to Webber and Vettel's relationship? (Photo: WRi2) |
The fallout could be significant. Some interpreted Webber's following comments as a threat to leave the team. He said he would go home to Australia in the break between now and China to "take my medicine.
"It is still very raw," he said on British television Sky. "We'll see if the medicine cures it.
"To be honest, a lot of things were going on in my mind in the last 15 laps of the race.
"It's very hard for people to understand the situation, they think they know what went on but they don't," Webber continued.
"It puts a lot of heat on certain people."