I'm not sure of where there was race controversy. Internal to the teams there are some issues to work out.

Both Red Bull, and Mercedes have to work on their team internal cohesion.
I understand the issue: if both of your cars are running back to back and not going to be challenged or be able to be challenged by another team, and it is early in the season so you may well need that engine for a lot more races, why have the two drivers put un-needed wear on the engines when it would produce, at best, a swap in positions which has ZERO impact on the manufacturers standings?

F1 pays out only to the manufacturers standings. Its a manufacturers championship system. So from the team perspectives, telling the drivers to just hold positions is the right move.

I'd think it would have been wrong to order Hamilton to let Rosberg pass.. if that were the case, then let them race and deal with the consequences.

We have to get past the idea that this is a drivers focused series. It isn't. Yes, a championship driver is crowned, but its not relevant to the payouts. Many decades ago, drivers would give up their cars so their team-mate could continue in theirs after the team-mate crashed his own car. F1 has always been about net team performance.

Having two closely matched team drivers is a challenge to manage.

Ferarri, I'm not sure about... they may well have directed Alonso to the pits (the crew was out) but Alonso decided to go for another lap in hopes of rain coming. It may all be on Alonso's shoulders.. but again, a team internal issue.

Vettel is just showing more and more lack of maturity.. he's not getting better at it, he's just getting to be an older child. Its a shame.

I'd think that Webber will have had enough long before now and look to switch to another team if he really is that much wanting to win a championship rather than be a team racer.

No controversy about the race that I could see.

 

I agree. The pit excitements from unsafe releases, to problems with wheels not coming off or not tightening down right, its great stuff. I do miss the refueling... it was fun to every once in a while see the car take off with the rig still attached.

 

That was THE F1 moment.

 

Well, if Red Bull Racing doesn't smack down Vettle for this team order violation, it is akin to RBR condoning the action, in which case Weber should just race and ignore team orders going forward until he wins or gets canned, and then look for a team with a backbone. Its up to RBR what the outcome of the childish behavior of Vettle results in. And I'm a Vettel fan - just not of that stupid, self centered behavior of his.

 

the thread title reads 'controversy at Malaysian F1'...

whether its race controversy or internal team controversy is really not the point.

i haven't seen so much uneasiness on the podium from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

Vettel looked like a child who stole a candy..

Webber looked like he was ready fight the man-child..

Hamilton just looked sheepish knowing Rosberg deserved the podium..

the look of Redbull team principal Jack Horner shaking his head as his team finished 1st and 2nd was priceless.

the Mercedes principal Ross Brawn with his head down with 3rd and 4th finish also says it all.

Controversy, indeed.

 

In case anyone is wondering...this is more or less the big items from the race...

Fernando Alonso broke his front wing on the first lap and doesn’t pit to have it changed. Resulting in a complete failure shortly after starting lap 2, forcing a stop to his race.

Lewis Hamilton tried to make a pit stop at the McLaren pit instead of the Mercedes pit.

While pulling into the pit, Caterham-Renault hit Toro Rosso-Ferrari.

Jenson Button left the pit before his passenger side front wheel was bolted on.

Force India-Mercedes had to pull both cars due to a hub issue on the front tires.

Nico Roseberg complained that teammate Lewis Hamilton was driving to slow and pleaded multiple times to allow him to pass.

McLaren-Mercedes retires Jenson Button with 3 laps to go with a wheel problem.

Sebastian Vettel passed teammate Mark Webber very late in the race almost causing multiple collision. Angering the team, and Mark Webber.

 

About Vettel: So we have a team where two guys Vettel / Webber get the same equipment year after year. One guy won 3 championships and the other guy (who is arguable the nicest bloke in the whole grid) just drives behind and usually screws up already at the start of the race. So now put yourself in Vettel's shoes: He's stuck behind a slower guy who doesn't have a snowball's chance to win the championship and sees 7 points slipping away from him (F1 championships often are won and lost by less than 7 points), so he goes for it. The guy who REALLY f**ed up here is Christian Horner.
Now let's have a look at Mercedes: Here you have a one-time world champion who is a self-centered *****, but is also a gifted racer and you have another nice guy (Rosberg) who is good but usually slower than Hamilton. With enough luck and enough dough from Mercedes Hamilton actually might have a shot at the title. So if you were Ross Brawn which driver would you keep in 4th and which one would you keep in 3rd?

 

Hell no Vettel did not deserve the win over Weber!Webber had every right to act the way he did after the race.Can't wait for Chinese Grand Prix in a few weeks!Should be really interesting with Red Bull and Mercedes,do hope Scuderia Ferrari comes out on top!

 

Vettel is a plain and simple P.O.S.

He's the modern day Micheal Schumaker. Me 1st and then everyone else.

 

Precisely, that's what makes F1 Champions. Nice guys (Webber, Rosberg, Barichello, Massa, etc.) don't become Champions for exactly that reason.

 

Does anyone remember Brazil last year? Vettel going for his 3rd world championship, Weber refused to help him at all and basicly drives his teammate off track at the first corner. Weber wants to be respected, yet when the world title is on the line he wont help his teammate.... payback is a *****!

 

As a Hamilton and Webber Fan and not a big fan of Vettel, i believe whoever can drive the best Deserves to Win.
So yea Vettle Deserves it because he is a Fliping fast driver! as for Hamilton, Rosberg deserved the 3rd place.

However that being said Both Hamilton and Webber were ordered to Turn Down their cars, so we dont really know which 4 drivers REALLY deserves to be where they finished.

But yes MBZ owes one to Rosberg and Poor Webber, i feel bad for the honest guy

 

so true, Hatzenbach...

same applies in the business world.