Did Vettel throw tantrum to not retire car in Sepang?

[John S]

No radio but pit board ordered stop, so why didn't he?     
Love to be fly on the wall when Seb faces Christian & Markko.    He'll need to be the cucumber then.               

Red Bull will sit with Sebastian Vettel following reports the German deliberately ignored the team’s race instructions in Malaysia.

The team was heard on the radio instructing the reigning back-to-back world champion to retire his car, ostensibly because of dangerously high brake temperatures.

So often were the calls unheeded that Vettel’s engineer Guillaume ’Rocky’ Rocquelin ultimately declared it an "emergency".

A late-race retirement, with Vettel definitely out of the points following his clash with Narain Karthikeyan, would have allowed Red Bull to install a new gearbox in his car for the forthcoming event in China.

Red Bull explained that Vettel did not hear the instructions due to a broken radio.

But photographs have emerged that show those instructions were also reflected in Vettel’s end-of-lap pit boards.

And the 24-year-old let slip immediately after the race: "Of course you can save the car, but I wanted to see the chequered flag. I think that’s how it should be."

Bild newspaper surmises that Vettel "ignored his bosses’ orders".

Team boss Christian Horner commented: "We’ll talk about it."

Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper said 2012 has been "a nightmare" for Vettel so far, as the once-dominant driver "has become just one of the other drivers".

Nextgen-auto.com, Today.

[cosworth151]

If he did ignore that order, good on him! It was an obvious attempt to "game" the rules. We don't need any more of that.

[kl1462832]

If that's the truth, then, Vettel is even better as they say he is! That's from a true champion ...

KL

[Scott]

If he did ignore that order, good on him! It was an obvious attempt to "game" the rules. We don't need any more of that.

Absolutely.   

[Jericoke]

If that's the truth, then, Vettel is even better as they say he is! That's from a true champion ...

KL

Absolutely agreed!

[lkjohnson1950]

How many people have a job that allows you to disregard what the Boss tells you to do?

[Jericoke]

How many people have a job that allows you to disregard what the Boss tells you to do?

A good boss is open to feedback when decisions encompass a 'grey area'.

It would take more than a pitboard to make me do something immoral.

[F1fanaticBD]

Boy I thought he was witty, great pole to flag driver, given a great car, he is almost invincible... but this honest??? 

Hats off buddy, you have just proved how truly a racing maniac you are...

People, behold the newest member of people's hall of Fame... Herr Sebastian Vettel, who fight against his own for the sake of racing.....

[Ian]

I admire him for it, but he needs to remember who pays his wages.

[Jericoke]

I admire him for it, but he needs to remember who pays his wages.

I think he does.  At the end of the day, it's the fans.  No one is paying to see the 2x WDC chicken out.

[Ian]

Sorry Jeri but it's RBR who pay his wages, ticket sales might contribute to RBR's money from the FIA but it's RBR who directly pay him.

[Scott]

Gee, all this Vettel love, only a couple days after we were flaming him for getting Karthikeyan in trouble with the FIA...   

[Jericoke]

Gee, all this Vettel love, only a couple days after we were flaming him for getting Karthikeyan in trouble with the FIA...   

It's the stuff of legend, isn't it?

Is there any chance that Vettel is doing this on purpose, or is it just working out that way?

[Scott]

There ya go with that conspiracy crappola again Jeri   

[lkjohnson1950]

Vettel is like most of us, generally a good guy, but with a couple of human faults. He was not thinking of the big picture when he stayed out. He was not in the points at Sepang, and changing the tranny in China will cost him 5 grid positions that will be hard to make up since he hasn't qualified higher than 5TH this year. Of course they can leave the old tranny in and let him DNF. Looking at the Championship, he did the wrong thing, and he disobeyed his bosses. Sporting but ultimately unwise.