Feuding teammates Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel will not stay together at Formula One champions Red Bull after this season, according to Italian Flavio Briatore.
Briatore, the former Renault team boss who has been part of Webber’s management throughout his Grand Prix career, told Italy’s RAI radio that he had spoken to the Australian by telephone on Monday after the Malaysian Grand Prix.
He said Webber was still furious with triple world champion Vettel winning at Sepang after ignoring team orders and overtaking him in the closing laps.
“I don’t think the relationship can be sewn together again,” Briatore said.
Asked if he expected one of the two to leave the team at the end of the year, the Italian replied: “For sure. Last year already there were problems.”
Webber, who will be 37 this year, is out of contract at the end of the season, while Vettel is tied to Red Bull until at least the end of next year.
He and Vettel have had several flare-ups since the start of their pairing in 2009, including a collision at the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix that cost Webber a victory and sent the German out of the race.
Webber has long maintained that the team favors Vettel, despite their insistence that the two have equal status.
Briatore said Malaysia had showed that Vettel was in charge at Red Bull, rather than team principal Christian Horner.
Webber’s father Alan calmed speculation that his son could stay away from the third round of the championship in China on April 14.
“We’ll be up in China for the next one,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“I think it will take a while [for Vettel] to earn the respect and trust again,” he added.
Vettel apologized to Webber after taking his 27th Grand Prix win and admitted that he had made a mistake in going against the team instructions.
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who is close to 25-year-old Vettel, with whom he occasionally plays backgammon in his paddock motorhome, criticized Red Bull for causing the controversy.
“At this stage of the championship, I do not believe there should be any team orders,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“It does not matter who it is,” he added.
“Maybe there will be a stage when he [Vettel] would like Mark to help him, but I don’t think Mark is going to come up front and do it,” the 82-year-old said of the possible consequences for the champion.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care