ASH8

Vet is very Un-Australian!!....

As for Webby, somehow I think this could be his last year.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

Perhaps the word, your looking for, is matured. All most all teams have a #1 and a #2 driver. If Webber doesn't like his ranking in the team, his only option is to go elsewhere. He may not end up with a more capeable team, however.

ASH8

Ah, from what I have heard here there were "team orders" which Vettel ignored, perhaps you know something else Al?

Most here tend to agree that Vettel still acts like a spoilt little brat that need his *** spanked by mommy...(J/K)

bse50

Yep: Horner: Internal discussions to be held - GPUpdate.net

The problem is that Webber is not capable of spanking Vettel. Think about Alonso seriously damaging Hamilton's season at McLaren...
We can only hope that Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes have better luck during the rest of the season, making Vettel feel human again. Then just sting and puncture his ego, deflate him and make him nervous at the wheel again.

ASH8

True that...

bse50

Webber is just like Massa: He's not a star, he's just a skilled driver. Neither of them is phenomenal like Alonso, Schumacher, Raikkonen, Kubica etc so, especially in the twilight years of their careers, they can't afford to voice their opinions.

Massa is driving and quietly earning points, Webber will do the same. At the end of the day they're not as gifted as FingerBoy and Alonso and they know that. They will always be number 2 on the team's roster. The only way for them to earn a temporary n.1 badge is by amassing point and hoping for a streak of bad luck for their team mates.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

I have no inside track on the thoughts of RB. I thought that Vettel would be allowed to overtake because he was most likely to take the drivers championship.

The race was on here at 3am and because of that, I did fall asleep some time after the start. I haven't re-watched it yet.

CRO8TIA

F1 isn't as interesting as it was 20 year's ago when drivers raced to win without stupid fooking "team" orders, can you imagine the **** fight in V8 Super car's, NHRA or Nascar if your crew chief told you to dial it back and don't give 110%. personally, I don't give a rat's **** who wins, as long as the racing is full on and entertaining. Yes, we all have our favourite drivers, but, do you want them to win with skill or "orders" ?

skc

Redbull knew that had tyre degredation issues. So when the got ahead there must have been a pact that whoever, is in front stays there rather that fighting it out for P1 and potentially have another team on fresher tyres come flying past and take P1 in the last lap.

Webber go the message and slowed down while Fingerboy kept pushing despite team orders. Webber could have maintained his 3 to 4 sec lead if he kept pushing till the end.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

There have always been #1 and #2 drivers on teams. Team orders came before the race or given during the much longer pitstops. Today, with 2-way radios, the teams issue them at anytime during the race. It's also not private. We also can hear when they are given.

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

For those with short memories.

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

ASH8

News here is Webby has ''spat the dummy'' and is about to walk away from F1....he was going to retire anyway.

His phone is off (RB has been trying to contact him) and is currently surfing somewhere on the east coat of Oz.

Reporters here are calling Seb Vet in doing a 'dog act'...

Karma or should that be Carma is a wonderful thing

BTW: I did not realize Seb was such a light weight @ 62 KG, MW is 15 KG heavier (33lbs).

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

Karma? It all goes back to Brazil. Horner said that after the race Sunday.

Mark is doing exactly what he said he was going to do, shut off his phone and go surfing for a few days while he mills this over.


From Planet F1 -

Winners
Mark Webber, Red Bull, 2nd
Unlike Melbourne, Mark got a great start, not fast off the grid, but he chose the perfect line through Turns 1 and 2 as everyone else looked round the outside. He was slightly hesitant in making a move stick on Fernando Alonso on the opening lap but soon began to close Seb down. He had a strong race, delivering fast laps where and when it mattered and listening to team radio, particularly the bit about "Multi 21". Red Bull were worried about the Pirellis delaminating and 'exploding' as happened to Lewis Hamilton in practice, and with 14 laps to cover to the flag they had reason to be worried. The delamination is more of a risk if the tyres have a weakness, a flatspot, and trying to outbreak your team-mate into Turn 1 could easily have supplied that flatspot.

The big ruck between Vettel and Webber all dates back to Brazil where Webber almost put the kybosh on Vettel's World Championship. For whatever reason - its' yet to be explained - at the start Webber closed the door on Vettel on the inside, (despite being fully aware that Vettel was behind him) forcing Vettel to break early and getting him passed round the outside by a load of cars. That lost Seb places and put him into the range of desperate lunges from the likes of Bruno Senna into the Lake Descent turn. It gave us a spectacle of a GP, but it didn't look the move of a team-mate.

In the post-Brazil euphoria and the subsequent politicking by Ferrari about the result (did Seb pass a car under yellows?), Webber's role in Seb's almost-downfall got quietly forgotten. Except Helmut Marko was obviously still furious. This we found out when he had the opportunity to disparage Mark in Red Bull's own magazine. He let rip and gave an interview that suggested Mark was psychologically flawed and unable to cope with pressure.

On the pitwall after the race, asked about the situation between the two drivers, Christian Horner admitted, "this goes back to Brazil."

Webber had a good race, but it wasn't faultless. He almost muffed the overtaking move on Jenson Button going into Turn 1 on Lap 35 despite the advantage of DRS and far better tyres. He will have got a huge amount of credit from fans for speaking his mind on the podium and doing what he does best, telling it like it is. Unlike his team-mate who was busy telling it like he would like people to think it was... even though it wasn't.


Losers
Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1st
This is one of the rare times in the 12 years of the Winners and Losers column that the winner is included in the losers.

Some people are suggesting that Sebastian Vettel managed to reduce his fan club membership to single figures at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Last season Michael Schumacher looked to pass the baton to Seb in the final race and Vettel's actions showed typical Schumi ruthlessness. Except Schumi wouldn't have been so quick to apologise afterwards. Anyway, Vettel's apology was disingenuous, he knew quite clearly what he was doing and could have given the place back to Mark at any time. The temptation of scoring 25 more points was just too hard to resist.

Mark Webber was hacked off with him enough before he heard the race transcript. Presumably when he hears, "Mark is too slow, get him out of the way. He's too slow," we might go to Defcon 1.

What will be most interesting now is not the two drivers' reactions, but how Christian Horner will handle the issue. His authority has been usurped - his light touch hasn't worked. When the two collided in Turkey in 2010 Vettel hadn't been asked to hold station; this is a whole new level. The power and influence exerted by team owner, team advisor and team boss will have to be re-examined.

Having said all that - the motor racing action we get when two drivers are really having an unbridled go at each other is fantastic. The Webber vs Vettel battle was the highlight of the race and will make all the post-season highlight tapes. Fernando Alonso's second lap exit was almost forgotten in the excitement. Had Vettel opted to sit behind Webber and two leading teams played the Team Orders game, then everyone might have been railing about how dull and manufactured it all is and how proper racing is being stifled. (Perhaps less so with Webber in front, because that is a story in itself).

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

Mark Webber won't quit - Christian Horner | Red Bull | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1
Ferrari takes blame for Fernando Alonso's Malaysian GP retirement | Ferrari | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1
I'd like to see a transcript of the Ferrari radio communications on that one.

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

Get your t-shirts!!

Men's Understand Multi 21? T Shirt

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

Wil Buxtons take on it all, very good read:

The Smiling Assassin | The Buxton Blog

ASH8

Current word on TV now (in Australia, Thursday morning ) is Webber has said ''he will not race alongside Vettel''

bse50

Why doesn't he man up and start fighting back? He would help Alonso lol.
That's what i'd do at 36 with no chances of winning a championship. Fight 'till the end with no worries about having to renew the contract.

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

After the debacle in Brazil and the comments @ the USGP, I am amazed he still had a seat this year.

Red Bull needs a Massa / Barachello / Rosberg to drive alongside Vettel.

I think, if Mark stays through the season, he may be driving alongside @ RBR with Alonso next season.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

Alonso isn't going anywhere. There are too many benefits driving for Ferrari.

Mazmart

iTrader: (12)

Wow, this is HEAVY! I was watching the race with a friend and I commented at the end "Webber is not going to hold his tongue" and I was right. He was SO pissed (Upset). He exercised restraint in not hitting him , but he publicly made known what happened.

I will still be surprised if he does not return to his seat for the next race.

Paul.

bse50

Ecclestone backs Vettel over Sepang row - GPUpdate.net

I would just take Vettel out, driving both redbull and Bernie insane if I were him.

Besides, Bernie stealing Vince Lombardi's quote sucks. He's a maggot compared to the late Lombardi.

ATL-GP

...agreed...no way Webber would just walk...no friggin way! And I'll go one further...I can totally see him signing another contract for next year too. Bottom line is, he's in a championship winning team and driving probably the best damn car on the grid. Furthermore, after all that BS he's had to put up with, I would think they owe it to him to give him another year...why not...things seem to be working, just depends how long Mark can deal with the unequal treatment. On another note, back when they had 2 way telemetry that whole mess wouldn't have happened...they could have turned Vettle down from the pits, just like the fixed Coultards oil problem when he was driving the McLaren...I don't really have a problem with that