Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix: Highlights, lowlights and disobeying team orders

By Nick Jaynes March 25, 2013

Red Bull team — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It was an interesting weekend at the races. If you didn’t see yesterday’s Malaysia Grand Prix, it was a controversial one.

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber of Red Bull Racing took first and second, respectively. Here’s where the controversy comes into play. Vettel was running in second place after Webber switched to dry tires.

The Red Bull boys were told to hold their positions to finish out the race. Vettel wasn’t pleased as he claimed Webber was going too slow and charged to overtake Webber.

The two battled it out in the 46^th lap. Despite team radio commands telling him to stand down, Vettel took first place at the checkered flag.

Malaysian Grand Prix - Sunday — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Later Vettel officially apologized for his disobedience, saying: “I messed up today. I would love to come up with a nice excuse as to why I did it, but I can’t. I can understand Mark’s frustration and the team not being happy with what I did today; I owe an explanation to him and the whole team. I will try to explain to them later.”

Can you really blame the young German? Both winning and following orders are in his blood. He must have suffered a terrible internal conflict during the race.

On a more amusing note, Lewis Hamilton had a bit of a slipup during the race before finishing third. Hamilton, who just recently joined the Mercedes team since having driven for McLaren since he was tall enough to reach the pedals, mistakenly pulled into the McLaren pits instead of those of the Mercedes team.

All in all, it was an exciting race and final battle for first place. In the end, both Red Bull drivers finished ahead of the pack despite an internal conflict. Next stop: Shanghai.

If you were in the driver’s seat and thought you could win the race despite being told to stay put, what would you do? Hold or go for the win? Comment below.

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Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…

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