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Webber annoyed after Red Bull team orders

"I wanted to race to the end"

By GMM

10 July 2011 - 17:10
Webber annoyed after Red Bull team (…)

The jury was out on Sunday after Mark Webber was ordered to hold station behind his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel.

A year ago, after his new front wing was removed from his car and handed to Vettel, Australian Webber furiously declared "not bad for a number 2 driver" as he won at Silverstone.

German Vettel went on to win the 2010 title as Red Bull insisted staunchly that team orders run against the philosophy of the team’s owner mogul Dietrich Mateschitz.

But in the closing stages of the British grand prix a year on, Webber was told by boss Christian Horner on the radio as he challenged Vettel for second place: "Maintain your position."

The initial reports were that, despite team orders now being fully legal, the 34-year-old is furious and in fact ignored the order several times.

"I can understand Mark’s frustrations," Horner told the BBC, "but we cannot give away a load of points.

"He should be fine with that, he is a team player."

Webber commented: "I tried to do my best with the amount of conversation I had with the four or five messages of the team."

Asked if he felt like repeating his ’Not bad for a number 2 driver’ after crossing the line in third place, he added: "Not really, I wanted to race to the end.

"Of course they (Vettel’s side of the garage) want the points, but I also need to try to get some points as well."

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