Alright Mr Conspiracy theorist, lets examine some facts.

Fact #1: Lap 37, Vettel pits for second time and rejoins in FOURTH place (remember he has already passed Webber on lap 31, when Webber does his one and only pit stop).

Fact #2: the accident with Webber occurs on lap 40. The official F1 description is: "Perez and DiResta run off track as they battle, as Perez rejoins, he and Grosjean come together leaving Webber no where to go".

Fact #3: Perez takes 10 second stop and go penalty, as blame for the accident

Fact #4: Remember Vettel was already AHEAD of the wreck, in FOURTH, and has already accomplished all his pit stops

Fact #5: On lap 52, Vettel passes Button for THIRD, his final finish position

So, 'splain to me how Webber's wreck, benefited Vettel. Vettel was already in fourth, on the tires he was going to use for the rest of the race. Further, it clearly did not benefit him in overtaking Button, because it took him 10 more laps after the race resumed to do so.

I am a conspiracy theorist by nature. However this one doesn't pass the sniff test. That accident was the fault of Perez and Diresta, with an assist from Grossburger. However, lets just say they ordered Webber to join in. How did it benefit Vettel. He was already ahead of those involved, so he passed none of them as a result of the accident. He had already completed his second pit stop, so he did not pit under the subsequent yellow/safety car. He clearly gained basically nothing.

The team lost valuable constructors points. Lets say Webber doesn't get collected by Grossburger. I think Webber had a top 5 car. Wouldn't that have clinched the constructors championship, right there, with no risk involved in the next 2 races? No matter what, that is the thing the team cares about most. They would take that guarantee over Webber wrecking to gain Vettel basically nothing.

Red Bull (the sponsor)cares about Vettel, but don't you think they also want to be associated with the world constructors champions. I think sponsors would be lining up to be associated with the constructors champions.

I concede that the individual drivers care about the drivers championship. I just contend that the team puts that far below the constructors championship. Further, Webber, by wrecking, mathematically eliminated himself from the drivers championship. He would not have done that on his own, and the team had nothing to gain by it, and only constructors points to loose.

Further I disagree that Red Bull Sponsorship would not be there without Vettel. As evidence of that, I give you

Fact #6: Red Bull Also sponsors Toro Rosso, with Vergne and Riccardo. If they are crazy enough to do that, they'd sponsor RBR without Vettel

 

From another site:

Lap 23: While attention is focused on Mark Webber's tangle with Pastor Maldonado, Vettel enters the top-ten for the first time in the race as he passes the second Toro Rosso of Ricciardo.

Lap 25: The flagging Schumacher has no defence to Vettel and, with the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi pitting just as Vettel begins his approach, the Red Bull finds himself as high eighth and just four seconds behind the sister Red Bull following Webber's earlier Maldonado-induced spin.

Lap 26: Another helpful slice of luck works in Vettel's favour as he is able to drive past a rear-facing Felipe Massa and into seventh after the Ferrari is sent into a smokey spin by an overly-aggressive Webber.


Webber was driving like a jackass throughout the race (IMO) which is something I've not seen him do before, the way he came out of the chicane after the incident with Massa was reckless, almost as if he trying to make contact, or force Massa off. I'm still shocked there was no penalty to Webber. If there would have been contact, yellow would have definitely helped Vettel. I'd never heard of the issue Motoo posted before, but it does make me wonder.

You've already stated the rest of the race, so I won't go into that, but the events beforehand do have me curious.

 

I would agree he was more aggressive than normal. Is it possible he was hacked off at himself for wasting another good qualifying spot? Was he possibly trying to make that up? Did he see the opportunity to finish above Vettel and get himself back in the conversation for drivers championship? Was his incident with Massa simply cause he was still hacked about being spun by Maldonado himself?

I doubt any of us will ever know. My only point is that its highly unlikely that any of that had to do with team orders.

Frankly, I see Massa as similar to Webber. Generally, those two drive clean, but perhaps less aggressive, and somewhat less productive, races than their teammates. By the same token, thats just what championship teams need. A steady 2nd driver who constantly finishes top 6, but generally always finishes.

 

I don't like Kimi, I hate Vettel.

Kimi managed to win a race in a Lotus. A LOTUS for crying out loud.

Vettel makes it to the podium while starting from dead last.


Crap. I am impressed by both drives by these aholes. I hate it when that happens.

 

Sam;

Motoo was talking about the incident back in 08 where the team had Piquet Jr crash his car on a specific lap, so Alonso could pit ahead of the crash, and benefit from the yellow. The scheme was dreamed up by Briatore (team owner) and the team manager

Pretty sure it got Briatore (the owner of Benetton) banned from F1 for life

 

Actually, he's back next year..


As far as my conspiracy theory goes... I agree with you that I'm 99.99% sure that Webber's accident was not planned.. it just is amazing how someone can start in the pits and get two SC incidents... the second one conveniently right after he pitted for his second set of softs and bunched up the field to make a run for it as the only frontrunner on softs. I don't think he could have caught up to Kimi, Alonso and Button had the SC not been deployed... I don't remember the exact distance but I didn't think he was that close behind them.


Anyway... we move on.. predictions for Austin?

 

Sorta.....
Lotus livery... powered by Renault

 

I wouldn't put it past RBR to have team orders prior to the race telling MW to let Vettel pass if the opportunity arises, that would then have MW and Vettel in the points, and as you said, the constructors title is what they're after.

I dunno, it was a little strange. I hope MW was just in a mood.

 

I totally Agree that webber would have been told to let Vettel pass. I also think that from the start of the race, webber might have been given orders to get in front of Alonso at all costs.
Really the only thing that threatens RBR is Alonso winning. That's how Ferrari makes up lots of points.

 

Hamilton runs away from the field until his car mysteriously breaks again. He gets a new middle name : Mario.