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In the world of Formula 1, team orders have long been a source of controversy. But few moments have sparked as much internal drama and lasting fallout as Red Bull Racing’s infamous “Multi 21” incident during the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang. The conflict not only showcased the competitive tension between teammates Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber but also left a permanent mark on their personal and professional relationships.
Before that stormy afternoon in Malaysia, Vettel and Webber’s partnership at Red Bull had already been strained. Vettel, a product of Red Bull’s junior driver program, had delivered three consecutive world championships to the team from 2010 to 2012. Webber, who joined Red Bull from outside the system, had come close to claiming a title himself in 2010 but lost his advantage after crashing out at the Korean Grand Prix.
Tensions came to a head at Sepang in 2013. Vettel secured pole position, but it was Webber who managed to get ahead early in the race. The pair comfortably held off the two Mercedes cars behind them. With Red Bull running first and second, the team issued an order late in the race to freeze the positions—code-named “Multi 21.” This meant car #2 (Webber) should stay ahead of car #1 (Vettel), essentially locking in a team 1-2 finish.
But with 13 laps remaining, Vettel ignored the directive. In a bold and controversial move, he overtook Webber around the outside of Turn 4, claiming the win for himself. The maneuver triggered a firestorm of criticism and ignited a major backlash against Vettel. While some fans and pundits condemned the move as unsportsmanlike, others defended it as the cutthroat nature of elite competition, comparing Vettel’s mindset to that of his childhood idol, Michael Schumacher.
Webber later reflected on the moment in his autobiography, Aussie Grit: My Formula One Journey. He revealed that the team had agreed prior to the race not to battle each other aggressively to preserve the tires. Despite reassurances over team radio that he had the race in hand, Webber suspected Vettel would take matters into his own hands.
“I knew within two laps that Seb was going to ignore the plan,” Webber wrote. “I started defending, but he had an edge—his tires were fresh, mine were a few laps old. I wasn’t furious, just deeply disappointed that it had come to this.”
The incident also raised questions about Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s ability to manage the situation. At the same race, Mercedes handled a similar conflict between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton with more assertiveness, as then-team boss Ross Brawn firmly instructed Rosberg to hold position behind Hamilton.
In contrast, Horner’s approach was more diplomatic. In a 2018 interview on the official F1 podcast, he offered insight into Vettel’s mindset during the incident. According to Horner, Vettel was still harboring frustration from the 2012 title-deciding race in Brazil, where Webber had squeezed him toward the pit wall at the start—an action that led to a chaotic chain of events, including a spin after contact with Bruno Senna.
“Sebastian was extremely upset about that,” Horner said. “After the Multi 21 race, he told Mark that in China. It was the height of their rivalry.”
Horner suggested that Webber, aware of Vettel’s superior pace, often looked for psychological edges to unsettle his teammate. “As a team, we tried to stay neutral, but every now and then the situation would explode,” he added.
In retrospect, the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix was more than just a controversial overtake—it was a turning point in the Vettel-Webber dynamic and a defining moment in Red Bull Racing’s history. While the incident secured another win for Vettel, it came at the cost of trust within the team, and ultimately, it signaled the beginning of the end for their fraught partnership.
