Booing has become a regular occurrence during the podium ceremony when Sebastian Vettel stands atop the winners step. Some believe it’s because he’s making Formula 1 too predictable, but team-mate Mark Webber sees it differently.
The Australian, who is set to retire from F1 at the end of the season, suggested it was because the fans didn’t like what they saw in Malaysia and they’ve yet to forget how the German acted, not because he’s taken his fourth consecutive title amid seven consecutive race wins.
“I don’t think it happened because Seb has been winning all the time,” he told the Daily Mail. “Usain Bolt doesn’t get booed – and he wins every race, or nearly every race, he enters.
“It’s interesting how the general public take a stance on some things.”
That stance stems from the ‘Multi-21’ incident in Malaysia when Vettel denied team orders and overtook Webber for the lead to win the race, despite the team ordering him to remain second.
“You have to be able look at yourself in the mirror,” he added. “Obviously, you need to be ruthless at times. I know you can’t be a little teddy bear and roll over, but I am happy about the way I have gone about my career. That two or three weeks after Malaysia was tense for us both.
“I think after the race his initial reaction was correct, I think he was shattered at what he had done as he said in Malaysia. But his reaction two weeks later in China – when he said that he was not sorry at all – was probably not the best way to encourage people what to think of him.”
