Red Bull play down driver row

With Lewis Hamilton enjoying a perfect dominating race, the incidents and talking points happened further down the field and much like the earlier races of the season focus was on Red Bull Racing.

The early season fears that Red Bull Racing would be miles behind their rivals have diminished. The Quadruple Formula One World Champions, may well be some way behind Mercedes, but they are right up there with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Williams in the battle of best of the rest.

But despite this, four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel is still having a poor season, as the German has been out-performed by his new team-mate Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo has out-qualified Vettel 3-1 thus far this season and if his podium finish in Australia had of stood, he would be 9 points clear of Vettel with the German being asked to move over for Ricciardo in both of the last two races.

On this occasion however, the frustrated German had to be convinced it was the right move for the team after initially ignoring and arguing the direct team order.

After his race engineer had told Vettel that Ricciardo was faster than him, Vettel replied: ‘Tough luck.’

Eventually Ricciardo got passed Vettel, although some in the paddock debated whether or not Vettel had let him passed or whether Ricciardo simply took the position away from him.

After the race the two drivers tried to play down the incident, but the cracks appear to be showing on the golden boy of the team.

‘I don’t want to start any conflicts or anything, At the end of the day we eventually got past and I was able to do my race.’ a diplomatic Ricciardo told the BBC.

Whilst Vettel added: ‘I did move over, Initially I didn’t understand because we were on the same tyres, unlike Bahrain [the last race].

‘That’s why I double-checked, but when I got the call that at that stage Daniel was on a different strategy, I moved over.’

Christian Horner later defended Vettel by saying: ‘For any driver, they don’t like that call. But he’s absolutely abided by it. He’s a team player at the end of the day.’

Really Christian?

Some would argue that point, wouldn’t they Mr Webber?