The two have had a series of contretemps dating back to the 2010 Turkish Grand
Prix, when a collision cost Webber victory and sent his 25-year-old
team-mate off the track.
Webber has consistently maintained that his young German team-mate is given
preferential treatment by the reigning constructors’ champions, and Jenson
Button argued that Vettel’s actions in Kuala Lumpur represented a
serious violation of team discipline.
“If you are told to do something by the team, and you completely ignore what
they say and it costs your team-mate a win, that’s big,” Button said. “I
find team orders difficult anyway but to disregard them is something
different.
“We all want to win, but Sebastian drives for Red Bull and they have to call
the shots. So many times it has worked in his favour. I think that it will
hurt Sebastian in the long run. I am surprised he did it.”
Mark Webber’s father Alan acknowledged that it would be a struggle for Vettel
to regain his son’s trust. “Up and down the pit lane Mark has not lost any
credibility at all,” he said.
“It is probably Sebastian who has lost an awful lot. I think it will take a
while to earn the respect and trust again.”
He also stressed that the entire Red Bull team had expressed displeasure with
Vettel’s conduct: “Sebastian disobeyed team orders and most, if not all the
team are disappointed in him.”