Malaysian GP: Vettel Ignores Team Orders to Win

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel ignored team orders in the Malaysian GP to win an intense battle with Mark Webber. Webber led after the final pit stops and the drivers were told to hold position to the end of the race but Vettel passed Webber after an intense battle with 13 laps to go. Vettel has since apologised for the incident, reports the BBC. Lewis Hamilton took third ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who obeyed an order to stay behind. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso crashed on the second lap after breaking his front wing. The Spaniard's team-mate Felipe Massa took fifth, fighting past the Lotus cars of Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen in the closing laps after the Lotus team's gamble to try to do only three pit stops rather than four failed. Grosjean finished sixth ahead of Raikkonen, who won the first race in Australia last weekend. McLaren's Jenson Button was on for a points-scoring finish, possibly in fifth place, before he was sent on his way from a pit stop with a loose front wheel. The Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg took eighth ahead of McLaren's Sergio Perez, with Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne 10th. It was a race full of drama as the intra-team battles at Red Bull and Mercedes played out live. The battle between the Red Bulls was resolved in an intense scrap as Webber rejoined from his final pit stop. Vettel was warned by team boss Christian Horner that he was being "stupid" but the two then battled wheel-to-wheel around Turns One and Two onto Turn Four, where Webber appeared finally to yield to his team-mate despite having the inside line. Webber said: "After the last stop the team told me the race was over and we turned the engines down and go to the end. The team made their decision. Seb made his own decision and he will have protection as usual." Vettel was told over the radio after the race: "Good job, Seb. Looks like you wanted it bad enough. Still you've got some explaining to do." Webber had initially taken the lead at the first stops as the drivers came in to fit dry-weather tyres following a wet start. He had led the race throughout, with the two Red Bull drivers using the two available tyre compounds in different orders. Vettel chose to end the race on the softer 'medium' tyre while Webber was on the hard. Vettel said: "Obviously it is very hot and if there is something to say we need to say it internally." Red Bull motorsport chief Helmut Marko, a powerful champion of Vettel, admitted the battle had "got out of control". Meanwhile, there was controversy at Mercedes as Rosberg followed Hamilton closely in the final laps. Rosberg asked the team to let him pass Hamilton, but was told "negative" by team boss Ross Brawn BBC