Sebastian Vettel threatened to sue Red Bull over the Multi-21 instruction given by the team during the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were teammates in Red Bull from 2009-2013. The formidable duo dominated F1 during the 5 years they spent with the team, winning the 4 Constructors championships consecutively from 2010-2013.
Mark was a veteran when he arrived at Red Bull in 2007. He won 9 races and shared 42 podiums in F1. But the Australian did not enjoy a great relationship with his young German teammate.
Their rivalry peaked during the 2013 Malaysian GP. Webber was leading the race after a great start and Sebastian Vettel was trailing behind the Aussie.
And Red Bull pit wall issued the infamous ‘Multi 21’ orders to Seb. Seb was instructed to stay behind Mark in the cryptic order. But instead, Vettel ignored the call and overtook Webber with 13 laps remaining to win the race.
Vettel received massive backlash following the incident and his dangerous manoeuvre around Webber. This could have resulted in both drivers crashing out. Vettel would win the race and Mark would settle for a P2.
🗓️ On This Day 2013 : “Multi 21 Seb”
Ce 24 Mars 2013 en Malaisie, Sebastian Vettel dépasse son coéquipier Mark Webber pour la victoire alors que son équipe ne l’avait pas autorisé à le faire ! 😬#F1 pic.twitter.com/GQtbMKIn6T
— Off Track (@OffTrack_FR) March 24, 2022
Their relationship soured and was its most fragile according to Christian Horner. Mark would retaliate during the Podium cool-down session.
Mark Would retire from F1 at the end of the season after finishing 3rd in the standings. Vettel would win his 4th-championship that year. He would compete with Red Bull for another year before moving to Ferrari.
Mark Webber reveals Sebastian Vettel’s legal notice to his team
Sebastian Vettel was very competitive and was leading the championship at that point. HE believed it was right to gain an advantage considering Mark Webber was already out of the championship at that point.
Vettel was framed as the Villian in the F1 grid following the incident. But he believed it was right following the 2012 Brazilian GP when Webber pushed his car to the wall at the start.
Very few people know the actual reason of Sebastian Vettel & Mark Webber’s Multi21 incident at Malaysian Grand Prix in 2013.
It was started in Brazilian GP 2012 where Mark pushed Seb in dirty side on the track it was a disastrous start for the latter and could lose the title. pic.twitter.com/DmnX3VCBGD
— Kramer (@IMIR0NM3N) May 2, 2022
Webber explained the Multi 21 incident from his perspective in his autobiography, ‘Aussie Grit: My Formula One Journey.’ He says, Vettel got his lawyers involved after Red Bull promised to allow him to race.
Webber said, “He [Horner] admitted that the team had received a two-page letter from Seb’s lawyer a few days after the Malaysian race stating that they were in breach of his contract by giving him an ‘unreasonable instruction-team order’.”
Vettel is often displayed as a petty, bratty, toxic driver in his RB days (which also caused him a lot of booing), yet it‘s often overlooked that he‘s often shown he‘s been raised just right by his parents, like here, Brazil 2013, at the last GP entry of his teammate Mark Webber. pic.twitter.com/W3eduBw0Ut
— uselesstweets 🌻🐝 (@Danke_Seb) July 24, 2022
The Australian that the tension between the duo accelerated his decision to retire. He adds, “(Red Bull) just needed something to change so, you know, I helped that decision for them and left.”
Webber admitted later that Vettel could not see his teammate faster than him on the track. And his relations with the German improved following his retirement.
Also Read: Sebastian Vettel reveals the driver who can replace him at Aston Martin in 2023
