When Sebastian Vettel joined F1, very few could fathom the dominant era he would embark on between 2010 and 2013. His former teammate Mark Webber, however, noticed similarities between him and one of the greatest drivers of all time – Michael Schumacher.
In a video unearthed recently, Webber is heard referring to Vettel as ‘Baby Schumi’. For Vettel, this was a compliment of the highest order, because the Australian compared him to his idol, and one of Germany’s most famous athletes.
The video dates back to the 2009 season when Vettel and Webber first became teammates at Red Bull. The latter talks about the young German’s entry into F1 and how the sport needs to continue producing talents like him.
In 2024, the story of Vettel and Webber’s animosity towards each other is well-known. A lot of it had to do with Vettel’s dominance and refusal to help his Australian teammate achieve any success. Webber, however, saw this coming all those years ago. He admitted that he was already heading towards the twilight of his career, and revealed how everyone at Red Bull expected Vettel to be the better driver.
“I’m not young anymore. I’ve got, in some ways, nothing to lose. So no pressure. Because he is expected to handle me, or finish me off.”
Vettel managed to outperform Webber throughout their time together as teammates. The former won four back-to-back world titles between 2010 and 2013, and while Webber did challenge his rival occasionally, he never managed to dethrone him. In 2013, Webber called time on his career, making his prediction about Vettel finishing him off, true.
Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber’s rivalry
Vettel and Webber never got along during their time together as teammates. They never hid the fact that they disliked each other’s guts on the track, and for Red Bull, there were several nervy moments to deal with.
At the 2013 Malaysian GP, Vettel and Webber’s rivalry reached its fever pitch. Red Bull issued team orders to the German, asking him to hold position and let his teammate bring home a 1-2 finish for the team.
Vettel didn’t follow through and continued attacking Webber for the remainder of the Grand Prix to take the lead. Webber tried his best to prevent the German from passing, but his efforts went in vain. Vettel ended up winning the Malaysian GP, and his teammate was publicly furious. This incident came to be infamously known as ‘Multi 21‘.
The same year, Webber even went on the record to take a dig at both Red Bull and Vettel by stating that the Milton-Keynes-based outfit allows his rival to do whatever he wants, without facing the consequences.
