Ecclestone backs ‘winner’ Vettel in team orders row

Ecclestone thinks team orders cheapen F1.

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has waded into the Red Bull 'team orders' row by backing German star Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel was widely criticized after passing Webber to win the Malaysian Grand Prix at the weekend, despite having been ordered not to race his Australian team-mate to avoid unnecessary risk taking.

To preserve his car, its power was 'turned down' – but last year’s champion Vettel passed him to claim victory and leave his teammate furious.

Vettel has since apologized in the face of a backlash as Red Bull consider whether to punish the world’s number one racing driver for undermining team chief Christian Horner, not to mention Webber.

Ecclestone though believes Vettel did the right thing, calling him “a winner, not a loser".

“If I was Sebastian Vettel, having won three world championships with the team, and somebody came on the radio to me and started giving me instructions I’d probably do exactly the same as Kimi Raikkonen did when he came back when they gave him some instructions the other day and say ‘I know what I’m doing’.

“I don’t think he’s (Vettel) undermined Christian’s authority at all because Christian knows exactly what should have happened and didn’t happen.

“Put yourself in Christian’s position. What should he now do? Did he give orders in the first place and if he did how could he then give more orders?

“I think what you have to do is think very carefully and I always say ‘show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser’.

“Sebastian is not a loser. Sebastian is a winner."