WilliamsF1 wrote:I think it is being looked at it out of context
1) Vettel clearly said that Weber did not deserve the benefit of that team order after what happened in 2012. Honest answer but since Vettel said it he is being crucified for it. Had Weber said the same he would have been awarded the sportsperson of the year by the bbc, sky, joe and james
2) Weber honestly thought he was in the lead because of what he had done through the race; Vettel thought he was 2nd because of pit strategy which was not favorable; so why should Weber have the benefit of a team order?
This is true. But I'd argue that 2012 was a complex year, not just the Brazil race. And there was probably a lot more going on that already started way back in 2010, namely Silverstone with the wing, then the famous coming together in Turkey and what felt like a clear lack of support towards the end of the year when Webber was leading the intra team-battle with a 7 points lead over Vettel and was Alonso as the WDC leader. I'd argue that Webber was not happy at all with whatever politics were playing a role at RedBull - and the fact that the rivalry between those two had reached rock bottom a long time ago. I'm also going to stress that we have no evidence what kind of team-orders were issued at Brazil 2012; the 'battle' on track was in the beginning stages of the GP (right after the start), so to some point, you can argue that it was hectic phase and anything can happen. It's not like he shunted Vettel off the track, though he didn't wave him passed either. We also don't know what 'orders' were issued before the race and if Webber, as direct and honest as he usually is, simply refused them openly or not.
It's not much different than what Hamilton and Rosberg went through leading up from Monaco to Spa 2014. The difference about Multi21 is that the team made a decision that the drivers should hold station to save-fuel and tires; one driver followed that order, the other used it as an advantage to then pass. Webber from his point, IMO rightly, is mad at the team because Vettel ignored a direct team order and as a result made him vulnerable - something that could have been avoided if the team had not issued the team-order in the first place and both would have been aware that it's a gloves-off battle to the flag. If then Webber had been beaten by Vettel, it would have been a 'okay, fair enough, you beat me fair and square' rather than 'gained an advantage by ignoring a clear team-order'. Webber's fury wasn't only directed at Vettel, it was also directed at the team for 1.) shafting him once again 2.) not taking appropriate measures against Vettel for using the situation to his advantage.
Now, as per my above posts; I don't necessarily agree with Multi21. I am willing to accept that the team issued it, not to upset their drivers, but because they were looking at the big picture from the data they had, and the unpredictability that some races have, especially at the beginning of a season when teams are still figuring out the exact impact of tire wear and other influences. They didn't do it for favoritism, or politics. They felt the drivers had an honest chance to fight for the lead and one of them came out on top - and in order to preserve the important team-result and win, felt it would be best to bring the cars home. On the podium, Webber explicitly said
he would have preferred to fight but had followed the order not to, which cost him the win.
A good example of a very similar situation in the same race: Mercedes ordered their drivers to hold station too, after Nico had already tried to pass Hamilton and make the move stick. He then asked the team to "let him by" - trying to say that he could challenge the RedBulls, but Ross maintained that position should be held,
"because Lewis could drive faster too, but was ordered to dial it down to preserve the important podium & team-result" -> implying that if Lewis were to drive at the pace he could, Rosberg perhaps wouldn't be the 'quicker' one and the resulting battle between the both of them would only result in the tires perhaps going off and neither car achieving the podium.
