At the start of the 2012 Brazilian GP, Webber had moved over on Vettel (who was up against Fernando Alonso for the title) at the race start, pushing him slightly towards the wall.
This led to the German falling back into the clutches of the midfield and then being turned around by Bruno Senna. Though Vettel managed to fight back to clinch his third F1 crown, he didn’t forget the move from Webber.
“He was disappointed that I couldn’t give him more room and then he felt that he got compromised into Turn 1,” Webber told Autosport years later. “So I believe that was still on his mind this day [in Malaysia].”
Though the RB9 would come to represent a run of true F1 dominance, the start of 2013 didn’t at first indicate that crushing supremacy.
Kimi Räikkönen had pulled off a Pirelli preservation masterclass to win the season opener in Australia and, as Webber remembered, things weren’t exactly going to plan in Sepang either.
“We were getting smoked – we weren’t quick in practice Mercedes. Lewis [Hamilton] and Nico [Rosberg] were fast and we were under pressure that weekend to get the job done,” he said.
“Before the race, we said if we get in a position to start managing stuff, because everything’s on the limit in Malaysia, cooling, looking after the tyres etc there will be a call after the second pitstop.”
Come lap 43 and Webber emerged in the lead from said last stop – but Vettel was clearly having none of it. Moving to the outside of the Aussie as he emerged from the pitlane, the two began sparring in what would become a spectacular F1 fight – on and off the track.
“Sebastian, multi-map 2-1, multi-map 2-1 – and look after your tyres please,” came the message from his race engineer Guillaume Rocquelin, who was summarily ignored.
At first Webber managed to hold the German off, but Vettel came at him again down the end of the pit straight at the end of that lap, just pulling out from behind Webber in time to avoid clipping him while fractionally missing the pit wall too.
Horner appealed, slightly limply, too – “C’mon Seb, this is getting silly now” – but also to no avail.