Vettel snatches controversial win from Webber

I messed up, admits world champion after victory in Malaysian GP.

SEPANG: World champion Sebastian Vettel incensed Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber yesterday as he pulled off a risky overtaking move to snatch victory in a pulsating but contentious Malaysian Grand Prix.

The German ace went wheel-to-wheel with Webber late in the race, earning a stern rebuke from team principal Christian Horner, before emerging in front and taking his 27th race win.

Former world title-holder Lewis Hamilton was third, claiming his first podium spot for new team Mercedes, after his frustrated team-mate Nico Rosberg was ordered not to overtake as they duelled in the closing stages.

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa finished fifth, stealing the limelight from Fernando Alonso after the two-time world champion went out on the second lap with a collapsed front wing.

France’s Romain Grosjean was sixth, outshining his Lotus team-mate and last week’s winner Kimi Raikkonen in seventh, with Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez and Jean-Eric Vergne rounding out the top 10. McLaren’s Jenson Button was a late retirement.

Webber and Vettel exchanged words in the team garage and the Australian was stony-faced during the victory ceremony, spraying little of the customary champagne.

Later, Vettel offered a profuse apology to his team-mate. Both drivers had been told by their team to hold their positions until the end of the race.

“I’m not entirely happy — I think I did a big mistake,” Vettel said. “We should have stayed in the positions that we were in. I didn’t ignore it on purpose but I messed up and took the lead from Mark.

“I can see now that he’s upset. I want to at least be honest. I know that doesn’t really help his feelings right now.”

Vettel ignored team orders and plunged past his team-mate with a risky overtaking manoeuvre and the team boss reacted over the radio with words: “This is silly Sebastien.”

“I’m not proud of my mistake,” added Vettel. “If I had the chance to do it again I would do it differently.”

For Webber, who has played second fiddle to Vettel as the 25-year-old German won the last three world championships, his team-mate’s behaviour was galling. He added that the situation could now prove difficult for the team in the future with trust now shot to bits between the two drivers

“I’m a huge sports fan,” said the Australian. “We want to see people give their best until the end. It’s unusual to have both cars at the end of a race together.

“It is a difficult situation for the future but it’s part of Formula One. We are professionals and we did the job today, but it’s not an easy situation for the team.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2013.