Skip to main content

Recommended for you

NASCAR's San Diego race required a mobile self-sufficent power grid

NASCAR Cup
San Diego
NASCAR's San Diego race required a mobile self-sufficent power grid

Jacob Abel returns to Indy NXT grid with Abel Motorsports for Portland Grand Prix

Indy NXT
Portland
Jacob Abel returns to Indy NXT grid with Abel Motorsports for Portland Grand Prix

Silly season’s forgotten man, Callum Ilott pushing for “one more shot” in IndyCar for 2027

IndyCar
Silly season’s forgotten man, Callum Ilott pushing for “one more shot” in IndyCar for 2027

Inside the Nurburgring turf war: Why a new series?

Endurance
Inside the Nurburgring turf war: Why a new series?

How the McLaren MP4/8B's engine blow-up changed F1 history

Feature
Formula 1
Feature
How the McLaren MP4/8B's engine blow-up changed F1 history

Mercedes "closely monitoring" when to bring upgrades for the rest of F1 2026

Formula 1
Belgian GP
Mercedes "closely monitoring" when to bring upgrades for the rest of F1 2026

Porsche Motorsport boss reaffirms program stability amid corporate realignment

IMSA
Porsche Motorsport boss reaffirms program stability amid corporate realignment

The novelty of Cadillac is starting to wear off - but that's a compliment

Feature
Formula 1
Feature
The novelty of Cadillac is starting to wear off - but that's a compliment

Press mocks Vettel's 'phantom' gearbox problem

Global Motorsport Media

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing

The international press suspects Red Bull imposed team orders during the season ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: xpb.cc

The team has already strongly denied the claims, but publications like Spain's Marca suspect Sebastian Vettel pulled over for Mark Webber because of a "phantom problem" with his gearbox.

"Webber gets the loyalty prize," said Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Agreed Corriere della Sera: "Vettel gave Webber the gift of the last crumbs after a huge feast and saved him a trip to the psychologist."

Spain's Diario Sport added: "Nobody believes Vettel really had a problem with the gearbox."

Austria's Der Standard said the team order "made sense", given Webber's mathematical chance of finishing the drivers' championship in second place.

Maybe they forget that team orders can now be issued freely

Stefano Domenicali

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali is quoted as joking to La Stampa: "Maybe they forget that team orders can now be issued freely."

Agreed Fernando Alonso: "I don't care, except to say that they were bothered with certain behaviours when we did them."

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, however, reported that Vettel personally watched when his gearbox was taken apart after the race and confirmed that "there was almost no oil left in it".

Previous article Barrichello happy to settle for small retainer
Next article 'Innovation' set Red Bull apart in 2011 - Gene

Top Comments

Latest news