Vettel will be damaged by Red Bull rift with Webber, says McLaren driver Button

By Simon Cass

Published: 18:30 EDT, 26 March 2013 | Updated: 21:33 EDT, 26 March 2013

Jenson Button doubts whether harmony can be restored at Red Bull following Sebastian Vettel’s decision to steal the win from Mark Webber at the Malaysian Grand Prix. 

‘I think that will hurt Sebastian in the long run. We all want to win but Red Bull have to call the shots. So many times a team order has worked in his favour,’ Button said. 

‘It can cause an issue. Even if they sit down and discuss it, it is not going to change the outcome. What has happened is still in their minds. It does not go away.’

Not ideal: Jenson Button believes harmony will be difficult to restore at Red Bull

But the McLaren driver claims such division can only help the  rest of the grid. ‘When you have teams fighting it is exciting,’ he said. ‘Instead of worrying about all the other guys on the grid, they are worrying about what their team-mate is going to do. Hopefully it does help us.’ 

McLaren always said Button was free to race with former team-mate Lewis Hamilton. But Button recalls a time at the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix — where Vettel ploughed into Webber causing him to retire and miss out on another win — when an order to hold station caused problems.

'Lewis and I had something like that in Turkey’ said Button. ‘He was told to turn his engine down but I didn’t know. Lewis thought they had told me, I overtook him and then Lewis overtook me.

'It was all fine. But if you are told to do something by the team and you completely ignore what they said and it cost your team-mate a win — that’s big.’ 

Despite Vettel’s post-race contrition, Button thinks the chance of the triple world champion  handing a win to Webber further down the line is close to zero.

'I find team orders difficult but to disregard one is something different. The issue here is that Vettel did not want team orders,' said Button, recently appointed head of the Formula One drivers’ union, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.

Rift: Sebastian Vettel ignored orders to take victory from Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber

Breaking rank: Vetell (left) overtook Webber to clinch the Malaysian Grand Prix

'I cannot imagine him leading the race, giving it to Mark and saying, “Here you go”. That’s very difficult.'

Button’s comments follow those of Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who also said Vettel’s action could prove costly. ‘Let’s assume these two guys are in a position to win the championship at the end of the year, there is no way Mark is going to help Sebastian,’ Ecclestone said.  

Webber is currently back in Australia, describing the trip as his medicine. But his assertion after the race that such medicine ‘might not be enough’ led to speculation that he could quit Formula One.

That has been dismissed by Webber’s father Alan, who insisted: ‘We’ll be up in China for the next one.’

Waving goodbye? Webber may be considering parting ways with Red Bull at the end of the season

Flavio Briatore, the former Benetton and Renault team principal who remains involved in Webber’s management team, said he expects a parting of the ways at the end of the season.

Asked if one of Red Bull’s drivers would have to move on, Briatore told RAI Radio in Italy: ‘That’s for sure. I think there’s no relationship any more.’

VIDEO: Button told to hold station at 2010 Turkish Grand Prix

Hamilton vs Button GP de Turquía 2010 from MAND on Vimeo.