‘Webber to stay with Red Bull’

Team principal dismisses rumours of Australian’s exit.

LONDON: Mark Webber will not walk away from Red Bull despite his controversial clash with teammate Sebastian Vettel at the Malaysian Grand Prix, according to team principal Christian Horner.

Defending champion Vettel deliberately disobeyed team orders by overtaking Webber in the closing stages of Sunday’s race, before driving to victory and leaving the Australian fuming.

Webber, 36, admitted that he had thought about ‘many things’ over the race’s closing stages, but Horner has dismissed speculation that he might be tempted to leave the team.

“It was the intent of the team that Webber win that race,” said Horner. “We didn’t suddenly give Sebastian instruction and say ‘go and pass your teammate.’

“He [Webber] is big enough to know there was no malice or intent from the team to create any situation like that. He is in a car capable of winning grands prix, and hopefully going for a championship, so I’ve no doubt Mark will see out the season with us.”

Horner also revealed that Vettel visited the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes, central England earlier this week to apologise for his conduct.

“He’s accepted what he did was wrong, but that he can’t turn back the clock,” Horner told Sky Sports News. “He has apologised to the team, apologised to every single member of staff for his actions, because he recognises the team is vitally important, and being part of a team is a crucial aspect of being able to challenge for those championships.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2013.