Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were two teammates that shared a classic F1 rivalry. During the 5 seasons when the duo were paired up, Red Bull enjoyed unmatched success sweeping 4 constructors titles and 4 drivers titles.
But behind the scenes, it was quite a heated atmosphere at the Red Bull Garage. Webber and Vettel were head to head, aiming for race wins and titles and the two had each other in their way.
Many speculate the acrimonious relationship between the teammates sparked after the 2010 Turkish GP. Webber was leading the race until lap 40 when Vettel collided with him after a failed overtake.
Vettel was forced to retire after suffering a puncture. But Webber’s chance to claim a win was destroyed. The Aussie would finish 3rd behind the McLaren duo of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
But the 9-time race winner claimed that his heated relationship with his German teammate sparked a year before.
Also Read: Mark Webber recalls when Sebastian Vettel threatened to sue Red Bull after Multi-21 controversy
When did the Vettel-Webber rivalry begin?
Mark Webber revealed that tension started to flare between him and Sebastian Vettel ahead of the 2010 season. And the Aussie believes Vettel’s disliking of his teammate winning a race with superior strategy in home turf was the main reason.
Webber said, “There was a race the year before, in 2009, there was a strategy where Sebastian wasn’t happy with my strategy and I won the race. Then it just went on, a little friction here and there.”
The race referred to by the Aussie is the 2009 German Grand Prix which Webber won in style after claiming a pole position. It was also his first F1 race win.
Webber claims the 2009 season was when the two drivers realised they could contend for the title having won races. Red Bull would finish 2nd to Brawn GP and would lay the foundation for their domination in the sport for the next 4 years.
Webber claimed that in equal machinery there was little to no compassion for teammates and there was a heated environment between the two halves of the garage. But it was this race in Nurnbergring that lit the spark.
Webber on losing the 2010 title to Sebastian Vettel
Mark Webber could not claim a single title as Sebastian Vettel swept through the F1 championships for 4 seasons. But the Aussie claims he was one of the best in the grid at that time and deserved the wins.
Webber claimed he wished the German on his first championship win, despite losing the title by 14 points. “I was one of the first guys to congratulate him when he won the title in 2010. I went to his room and congratulated him.
He adds, “Of course, it was gutting for me, I was empty. It was tough but, in the end, he made me a better driver because he forced me to be better.”
Webber also believes that he could have beaten Seb if he had the chance to, “In ’09, Seb was powerful and in ’10, but it was not something that I didn’t think was beatable. I could beat him on my day, I could still have a chance to compete against him very, very evenly.”
Seb too recently admitted in equal Machinery Mark was one of the toughest drivers he faced throughout his 16 seasons in F1. And that on his day the Aussie was ruthless and could win whatever challenge was ahead of him.
