The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Posted: 24 Mar 2013 07:25 AM PDT

March 24, 2013

Mercedes Formula One driver Hamilton and team mate Rosberg congratulate each other after their 3rd and 4th respective positions during the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix SEPANG, March 24 — Germany's Nico Rosberg would have stood on the Malaysian Grand Prix podium had he taken a leaf out of compatriot Sebastian Vettel's book and ignored his team's orders on Sunday.

Instead, the Mercedes Formula One driver finished a frustrated fourth behind Lewis Hamilton but earned his team mate's thanks and recognition.

"I don't feel great sitting here. I think Nico deserves to be sitting where I am now," Hamilton told reporters at a post-race news conference for the top three.

"I guess the team thought that with the positions in the championships, it was logical to stay in the positions we were in. I have to give congratulations to Nico as he drove a smarter, more controlled race than I did today."

Triple world champion Vettel had earlier ignored Red Bull instructions and roared past team mate Mark Webber to steal a contentious victory at steamy Sepang that left the two drivers barely speaking to each other.

Rosberg had repeatedly asked his team to tell 2008 champion Hamilton to let him through, since he was faster, but the request was denied and he accepted the need to conserve fuel and go easy on the tyres.

While the bad blood between Webber and Vettel is likely to have ramifications for Red Bull, Rosberg's obedience was warmly received by Mercedes and he clearly appreciated the importance of banking points.

"It's an important day for us, that's for sure. We've had such a tough time in the past years. To be third and fourth, fighting the Red Bulls is such a milestone," said the German, whose win for Mercedes in China last season was their sole success in the past three years.

"We need to put in some consistency, so to bring it home third and fourth, fully understandable.

"I know that if it had been the other way round they would have done the same thing. So that's okay. For sure, there will be time to fight also between team mates in the future."

Mercedes executive director Toto Wolff said the decision to hold position may not have been the most popular among spectators but the team were determined to get both cars home safely.

"Obviously as a racing driver and from a sporting point of view you can question is that what the spectator wants to see or not?" the Austrian asked.

"But the team came from a very miserable second half of the season and it's about bringing it home, scoring a solid result. And we had a problem with the fuel, so both cars were told to back off a little bit. Hearing Nico, I think he understood." — Reuters

Vettel apologises to Webber for winning by ‘mistake’

Posted: 24 Mar 2013 06:40 AM PDT

March 24, 2013

Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany celebrates after winning the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix. — Reuters picSEPANG, March 24 — Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel apologised to Red Bull team mate Mark Webber on Sunday after ignoring orders and stealing a Malaysian Grand Prix victory from the angry Australian.

"I am the black sheep right now...all I can say is apologies to Mark," the German, seemingly contrite, said after a win that gave Red Bull a one-two finish and him the lead in the championship after two races.

"The pass was deliberate, obviously I wanted to pass him...but I didn't mean to ignore the strategy or the call. I made a mistake, simply."

Webber had driven a masterful race to climb into the lead from fifth on the grid and was told by his team to ease off in the closing stages to protect the car and tyres as he led Vettel and the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.

Triple world champion Vettel was supposed to do the same but instead attacked and passed his shocked team mate after a ferocious battle with 12 laps remaining to seal a 27th grand prix victory.

The Australian made his feelings evident afterwards, saying only "Multi-21, Seb. Multi-21" - a reference to the team instruction - and giving the German the cold shoulder before they went on to the podium.

"He's not a happy camper. How he deals with it down the line we'll wait and see. He'll be frustrated and kicking a few doors around tonight," his father Alan told Britain's Sky television.

Wrestling with his emotions, with the occasional heavy sigh, Webber said it would take time to absorb what had happened.

"It's still very raw at the moment because we had a plan before the race as we do for most grands prix as to how things will be in a certain scenario," said the 36-year-old, who has accused his team in the past of favouring Vettel.

He alluded to the Turkish grand prix of 2010, when the pair collided while fighting for the lead and threw away a lot of points, and said he would take time out to go surfing in Australia ahead of the next race in Shanghai on April 14.

"I think this will be good medicine for me," he said. "But there was a lot of things in my mind in the last 15 laps of the grand prix to be honest. So whether the medicine is enough, we'll see."

The Australian said he had turned his engine down, looked after the tyres and had been "completely reassured twice that we were not going to abuse the cars on each other."

Team principal Christian Horner said the matter would be dealt with internally.

Race drivers

"As far as the drivers are concerned, we let them race up to that last pitstop and then from a team's perspective, with the issues we've had this weekend, we wanted to control the race and manage the tyres to the end of the race," said Horner.

"But at that point the drivers' interest became bigger than the team's and they took it into their own hands to start racing each other which was obviously uncomfortable for us. But they are race drivers.

"We'll sit down with them and discuss it as a team. They've raced each other hard before. They are very competitive. They are both race car drivers, It's difficult."

Horner recognised there was a "conflict of interest" between the team's aims and that of the driver but said the team was paramount.

"You are still part of a team and at the end of the day everybody has to do their bit within the team and it's difficult to watch. And the risk in a situation like that is that you give up 43 points," he said.

Vettel appeared ready to soak up the criticism.

"I am not really too worried, I don't really care about the criticism that is coming up now. I owe an explanation to Mark and the team. And that's it," he said.

"Everyone else obviously has the right to have their own opinions but for sure it is not a victory that I am very proud of because it should have been Mark's." — Reuters

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Ahad, 24 Mac 2013

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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