Formula 1: Row between Webber and Vettel now settled

Mar 29, 2013
Formula 1: Row between Webber and Vettel now settled
Red Bull boss Helmut Marko says the row between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel has been "settled". Marko said the two drivers finally shook hands after a heated discussion following the Malaysian Grand Prix. Triple world champion Vettel upset Red Bull team-mate Webber by ignoring team orders and passing the Australian to win last Sunday's race at Sepang. Marko said Vettel had been "distressed" by the situation, adding: "I don't think he will do that again. In the debrief afterwards, there was the relevant discussions about the race and then there was a handshake between the two drivers. For us, now, the issue is settled. They don't have to be completely on the same page but it must be a solid working partnership." Marko also added he believed the German world champion had learned an important lesson. "Sebastian apologised in the press conference," said Marko. "That's the first correct step to take. He doesn't have to change as a whole, but I think Sebastian was distressed. He was surprised by his radical way of tackling it and I don't think he will do that again." Boss Helmut Marko insisted the team were unable to do anything to prevent Vettel disobeying the order to stay behind Webber. "We told Sebastian to hold his position because we didn't know what the tyre situation was and both drivers need to bring home a good finish for the team," Marko said. "But then came the attack against that strategy and it got out of control. You couldn't control it over radio or anything like that. Sebastian the racer came out and took the lead." Team principal Christian Horner added that Vettel apologised to the whole Red Bull factory this week. "He's said he can't turn back the clock but he's accepted what he did was wrong," Horner said. "He's apologised to the team and to every single member of staff for his actions, because he recognises the team is vitally important and being part of the team is a crucial aspect to being able to challenge for those championships." However, considering this isn't the first "misunderstanding" between Vettel and Webber, we might not expect it to be the last. The two will race again in the Chinese Grand Prix on April 14th, and Vettel is the favourite at Bet365, he is 15/8 to win the race while Webber is 8/1.
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