Mark Webber, who had led from early in the race after passing his pole-sitting team-mate, looked, by the final pit stops on lap 43, to be heading for a well-deserved victory. His team had told him to look after his tyres, which meant that he had to slow up a bit and not push the car to its limits. After all, a car that blows up or ruins its tyres on the last lap is no good to man or beast. This needed the co-operation of Sebastian Vettel, who was ordered to hold his position.
The triple world champion was not happy with that. He'd complained earlier in the race that Mark was holding him up. At that point, he'd have been free to pass him and didn't. When the team orders were given, he disobeyed them, pulling a pretty reckless passing move close to the pit wall that could have taken them both out. Team Principal Christian Horner was heard to say "This is silly, Seb."
But he got past and took the victory. Mark Webber was clearly unhappy, offering no congratulations and not engaging with Vettel in the podium ceremony.
Eventually Vettel apologised, saying, slightly melodramatically, that he would have a hard job sleeping last night. A little late for that, I think.
It's been clear to many that the Red Bull team revolves around Vettel. It's very unusual for a decision or an order that is in Mark's favour to be issued. It was annoying that when that did happen, the order was disregarded.
So, what happens now? Will Red Bull make him give the position back should he try anything like that in the future? I can't see that happening. However, there may be a more interesting consequence. When did we last see a great show of form from Mark Webber? In 2010, when relations between the two Red Bull drivers were at their worst. If Webber hadn't broken his shoulder before the Korean Grand Prix, then there's a good chance he, not Vettel, could have been the world champion then.
When Mark feels he has been unjustly treated, he is at his best. Let's hope that Vettel has set in train a course of events that gives Mark the title he deserves. He has been one of the most consistent and fair drivers on the grid in recent years, as well as being a pretty decent human being. It's time to see achieve the greatness we know he's capable of.
Elsewhere in the race, how funny was it to see Lewis Hamilton turn into his old McLaren pit spot? I can't by rights say that I'd never do anything so ditsy, so I have no right to laugh, really, but I did.
Hamilton and his team-mate Nico Rosberg were at the centre of another "team orders" story yesterday when Nico was ordered to stay behind Lewis. Team managers were worried that the cars were not sufficiently fuelled to get to the end of the race and needed to keep them both from running out. Nico was livid that he wasn't allowed to pass Lewis, although many speculate that Lewis has his position as number one driver written into his contract. Ross Brawn had to patiently explain to Nico over team radio why he had to reign in his natural instincts.
These sorts of team orders are understandable. The sort of thing I really object to is the ridiculous situation where Rubens Barrichello was made to let Schumacher pass purely for points in the championship at an early stage in the season. That's not the situation we had yesterday.
Apart from Webber, the biggest loser of yesterday was Fernando Alonso. He was not pulled in at the end of lap 1 even though his front wing was hanging by a thread. It was understandable that Ferrari might want to wait until they could be sure it was wise to hange from intermediate tyres to slicks at the same time, but they should have realised that that wing was not going to stay on. If it had bucked a couple of seconds earlier, Mark Webber could have been seriously hurt. As it was, everyone was fine, but that, to me, was yet another Ferrari strategic blunder which could, come the end of the season, cost Alonso dear.
6 comments:
Caron: can you explain to me the difference between the Lib Dems Scottish Conference (recently held in a room in a Dundee University halls of residence...capacity 300) and your federal conference?
While we are on the subject of federal policy, can you explain to me why the Lib Dems Federal Committee comprises 34 members of whom only 15 are directly elected. Also why are they elected by federal conference delegates and not the entire Lib Dem membership of the constituent countries? Who appoints the more than 50% of this so called democratic committee that are not directly elected by anyone? Oh and why are there 4 MPs on the committee but only 2 Scottish reps, and only one Welsh rep? Who appoints them? And why are the constituent regions not equally represented on such a key policy committee?
What in the name of goodness is that doing as a comment on a post about F1?
If you look, you'll find that the parly parties, councillors and the like elect their own reps and there are reps from other committees.
The constitution is 25 years old and needs looking at. In Scotland we used to have the system where local parties send so many voting reps to conference. We changed that in 2009 so that every member has a vote. There are moves afoot to replicate that at federal level.
The reason it was set up like that was because those on the SDP side, having been scarred by the Militant/hard left in Labour, didn't want the same thing to happen in the new party. The Liberal Party had always given everyone a vote. It makes sense in its historical context, but not so much now.
So the reps elected by the local party go to the federal conference and in turn elect the 15 directly elected members of the Federal Committee? That still leaves the 19 who are not directly elected so who appoints them? And why in a democratic party are more than half of a committee that guides the party’s cross federal policy NOT directly elected? I’m sincerely hoping that you will not be telling me that Nick Clegg the committee chairman appoints more than half of a so called democratic committee.
Oh and the difference between the federal conference and the Scottish one? I'm assuming there is an English and Welsh conference as well in order to make things fully federal and that the federal conference does not serve as the English and Welsh ones!
Presumably Mark Webber's wee tantrum was caused by the money he lost since there can't be any merit in an arranged win. I suppose the other funny thing was that at least long standing national stereotypes were shaken by the 'winner' not obeying orders.
I agree; Mark comes across as a decent chap doing a good job in a team totally wrapped around vettel. I didn't really like vettel before last w/e, and I dislike him even more now.....
Go Mark!
Did you see DC said vettel would never be considered great until he won a championship in a different car; but as he is mollycoddled all the way in Red Bull, will he have the courage to move!
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