Originally Posted by dj_bytedisaster
The team wanted full points and had Vettel obeyed they would have two drivers close in the championship with Alonso a good way behind. Vettel disobeyed and they got full points, a three times champion firmly in the lead for a fourth and Alonso even further behind. It's a no-brainer.
They won in the past with Mark doing his best not to pull for the championship. Team spirit at RB has obviously been optional in the past.
Vettel has so far been fairly 'controllable'. The only reason for him challenging Horners authority is, because the team pulled a stupid prank on him. He wouldn't be a WDC if he accepted stuff like that. The only lose canon in that team has always been Mark, who felt himself entitled to actions he couldn't back up with results.
Very simple. Because he wiped the floor with Mark all weekend, had caught him by lap 26 despite losing about 5 seconds to Mark by his mistimed stop - meaning that he was a damn sight quicker and had the strategic advantage of still having a brand-spanking new set of mediums, which Mark hadn't.
On lap 26 he was told: “Try to look after your tyres, you’re too close in the fast corners.”
He has to stay put while Mark tried to do 'high 41's delta driving' with Lewis closing in on Vettel, who wanted past to get away from HAM.
On lap 28 Vettel became impatient staying behind Webber and said: “Mark is too slow, get him out of the way, he’s too slow”
Reply: “Understood, look after your tyres.” shortly after followed by: “Sebastian be patient, only half race yet.”
So with being told to wait for the right time (to get past presumably), he hung back as the team requested, while Webber put in a few fast laps, probably po'ed by the 'get him out of the way' thing.
All this 'hang back' thing allowed Lewis to sneak past Vettel and being stuck behind the Merc meant he lost 4.2 seconds on Webber. He made up tose 4.2 seconds over just two laps, when he got his shiny new mediums and was right behind Mark after Mark's last stop. So he made up a significant gap on webber twice in the race and was still right on Webbers tailpipe with 13 laps to go. Based on the speed it was Mark, who never had a legitimate shot at the win.
So basically the team prevented them from racing each other as early as lap 26, telling Vettel a bull**** story of 'still time', which almost cost him a position to HAM and when he was back at Webber tail end they told him 'Trollolol. hang back.'
Frankly, how he managed that without swearing at them like a lumberjack is beyond me.