Sebastian Vettel: I would defy Red Bull team orders again
• Vettel also suggests actions were payback to Webber
• Red Bull team-mate refuses to commit beyond season
Paul Weaver in Shanghai
The Guardian, Thursday 11 April 2013 12.53 BST
Sebastian Vettel has warned Red Bull that he is likely to ignore team orders again in the future – and also claimed that his decision to do so in the last race in Malaysia three weeks ago represented revenge for what his team-mate Mark Webber had done to him in Brazil last year.
The bullish Vettel could scarcely have been more different to the contrite, apologetic figure who said sorry to Webber and the entire team after ignoring team principal Christian Horner's coded "multi 21" instruction to stay behind the Australian in the last race, overtaking his team-mate to win.
The three times world champion flexed his considerable muscles even more ominously yesterday [Thursday] when he was asked whether he would flout team orders again. He said: "I am not sure I can give you a proper answer because in the moment it might be different, but I would probably do the same.
"Had I understood the message and had I thought about it, reflected on it, thought what the team wanted to do, to leave Mark in first place and me finishing second... I think I would have thought about it and I would probably have done the same thing."
Vettel then suggested that his overtaking at Sepang was payback time: Webber made life difficult for him in the final race of last season in Sao Paulo, as he battled desperately to retain his crown. Webber was also more competitive than he was told to be at Silverstone in 2011.
Vettel said: "After all that's happened in the past few years Mark didn't deserve to win." When asked if his action was a response to what happened in Brazil he said: "You could say that, indirectly.
"Being completely honest I have never had support from his side. I have got the support of the team and I think the team has supported us the same way.
"In terms of my relationship with Mark, I respect him a lot as a racing driver but I think there has been more than one occasion in the past where he could have helped the team."