Although Vettel apologised it cut no ice with Webber who, when asked whether
the situation had made him consider his future with the team, and in F1 on
the whole, Webber said: “My mind in the last 15 laps was thinking that many
things, yes. Many, many things.”
As to how Webber will respond to an order in the future should he be in a
position where he is chasing Vettel for a win, he said: “That question is
not going to be answered right now.
“Let’s just say there were a lot of things going through my mind in the last
15 laps of the grand prix, lots of different reasons, not just from today
but also from the past.
“We’ll see what happens. We’ve got three weeks before the next race (in China
on April 14).
“Right now it’s very early days, it’s very raw, but we need to work out how
the team best goes forwards from here.
“That’s obviously going to be discussed this week. I will be in Australia on
my surfboard, the phone won’t be engaged, so let’s see what happens.”
Vettel, who had initially shown no remorse for his selfish actions when
interviewed on the podium, changed his tune several minutes later when he
fielded questions in the press conference.
“I can see now he (Webber) is upset, but yeah, I at least want to be honest
and stick to the truth and apologise,” said Vettel
“I know it doesn’t really help his feelings right now, but I should have
behaved better.
“As I’ve said, I didn’t do it deliberately. I didn’t realise I had made a
mistake. It was only when I came back and saw the team’s reaction I
realised.”
Horner claims clear-the-air talks were held immediately afterwards, but there
is no doubt Webber will head back to his homeland feeling deeply aggrieved
and with his mistrust of Vettel exacerbated.
Behind them Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were also involved in
their own team orders controversy, although in this instance the latter
obeyed the call from team boss Ross Brawn.
Clearly faster than Hamilton in the final stint, Rosberg twice asked to be let
by only for Brawn to tell him to hold station, much to the embarrassment of
the Briton who believes he should have given way.
Jenson Button, meanwhile, should have finished at least fifth, only for a
pit-stop error by his McLaren crew to ultimately wreck his race from which
he retired a few laps from home.
As for Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard crashed out in his Ferrari at the start
of lap two after the team opted not to call him into the pits for a new
front wing damaged on lap one.