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Adapted from GMM
The "Multi-21" affair has been nothing except "very good" for formula one, according to former grand prix driver Alex Wurz, who thinks Mark Webber should accept his highly-paid "number 2" status.
Some, including 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, said the affair and Red Bull's reaction shows it is "clear" Sebastian Vettel is the team's number 1.
On the issue of Australian Webber settling for the subordinate role, Austrian Wurz told Spox: "He has a double digit million salary to help him deal with the pain. If he believes another team could serve him better, then he should say goodbye."
"But at the moment I think he will swallow the bitter pill. At the end of the day, he is on a team with which he can celebrate successes. If he is lucky and Vettel is not, maybe he could even win the title. Otherwise, he plays second fiddle, earns good money and is one of the stars of the show. Easy!" the 39-year-old insisted.
Asked what he thinks of the affair named after Red Bull's team orders codeword 'Multi-21', however, Wurz insisted: "I see it as very good for the sport. These stories bring interest and boost ratings. The bottom line is that it's good for business, even if it can be debated whether the actions of some teams is right for the sporting ideology."
On that subject, Alex Wurz doubts what German Vettel did was justifiable.
"It began on lap 28, when Sebastian said on the radio 'Get Mark out of the way, he is too slow'.
"At that time, Webber had the tires well under control and was able to respond by extending his lead to five seconds. Sebastian was not able to counter it. In retrospect, we now know what 'Multi-21' means. Had Red Bull not issued these team orders, for sure - with 99.9 per cent certainty - Webber would have brought it home. On the day he had been better with the tire management. But he accepted the team's instruction and turned his engine down. Sebastian didn't, and couldn't resist the temptation to drive past," said Wurz.
On the issue of number 1s, some saw the situation behind the warring Red Bulls in Malaysia as evidence Lewis Hamilton has arrived at Mercedes with clear favourite status.
"I think not," Wurz commented. "For sure (Nico) Rosberg and his management will have been straight onto getting an explanation. (They will be asking) if a pecking order has been established. Or whether it was a spontaneous decision based on logic. Maybe (Ross) Brawn was not thinking about the friction and the misunderstanding that may arise."
Former Toyota driver Allan McNish, however, thinks Briton Hamilton's new status is obvious.
"Even though it's not official," he told the BBC, "there's definitely a strong focus on Hamilton being their main challenge for the championship. They've opened their arms to Hamilton and they've certainly got their arm round him quite well at the moment."
The "Multi-21" affair has been nothing except "very good" for formula one, according to former grand prix driver Alex Wurz, who thinks Mark Webber should accept his highly-paid "number 2" status.
Some, including 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, said the affair and Red Bull's reaction shows it is "clear" Sebastian Vettel is the team's number 1.
On the issue of Australian Webber settling for the subordinate role, Austrian Wurz told Spox: "He has a double digit million salary to help him deal with the pain. If he believes another team could serve him better, then he should say goodbye."
"But at the moment I think he will swallow the bitter pill. At the end of the day, he is on a team with which he can celebrate successes. If he is lucky and Vettel is not, maybe he could even win the title. Otherwise, he plays second fiddle, earns good money and is one of the stars of the show. Easy!" the 39-year-old insisted.
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| Photo WRi2 |
Asked what he thinks of the affair named after Red Bull's team orders codeword 'Multi-21', however, Wurz insisted: "I see it as very good for the sport. These stories bring interest and boost ratings. The bottom line is that it's good for business, even if it can be debated whether the actions of some teams is right for the sporting ideology."
On that subject, Alex Wurz doubts what German Vettel did was justifiable.
"It began on lap 28, when Sebastian said on the radio 'Get Mark out of the way, he is too slow'.
"At that time, Webber had the tires well under control and was able to respond by extending his lead to five seconds. Sebastian was not able to counter it. In retrospect, we now know what 'Multi-21' means. Had Red Bull not issued these team orders, for sure - with 99.9 per cent certainty - Webber would have brought it home. On the day he had been better with the tire management. But he accepted the team's instruction and turned his engine down. Sebastian didn't, and couldn't resist the temptation to drive past," said Wurz.
On the issue of number 1s, some saw the situation behind the warring Red Bulls in Malaysia as evidence Lewis Hamilton has arrived at Mercedes with clear favourite status.
"I think not," Wurz commented. "For sure (Nico) Rosberg and his management will have been straight onto getting an explanation. (They will be asking) if a pecking order has been established. Or whether it was a spontaneous decision based on logic. Maybe (Ross) Brawn was not thinking about the friction and the misunderstanding that may arise."
 |
| Photo: WRi2 |
Former Toyota driver Allan McNish, however, thinks Briton Hamilton's new status is obvious.
"Even though it's not official," he told the BBC, "there's definitely a strong focus on Hamilton being their main challenge for the championship. They've opened their arms to Hamilton and they've certainly got their arm round him quite well at the moment."