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Mark Webber recalls when Sebastian Vettel threatened to sue Red Bull after Multi-21 controversy

Tejas Venkatesh
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Mark Webber recalls when Sebastian Vettel threatened to sue Red Bull after Multi-21 controversy

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.

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.

Also Read: On this day nine years ago Sebastian Vettel ignored instructions from Red Bull and denied Mark Webber a Grand Prix win

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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.

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’.”

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

About the author

Tejas Venkatesh

Tejas Venkatesh

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Tejas Venkatesh is a Motorsports writer at The SportsRush. He started watching F1 in 2007 and fell in love with the sound of the revving V8s. A technical nerd, tejas loves to nerd over the technical beauty only motorsports can achieve. He calls himself a Vettel fanboy and spent the night crying after Hockenheim 2018. Apart from F1, Tejas is an avid Chelsea Fan and loves football.

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