Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel cannot continue to be teammates beyond this season, this much is certain following the Malaysia Grand Prix debacle.
How they will contend with being in the same garage for the remainder of this campaign is another question.
Webber has been at Red Bull since 2007.
Including his two-year stint when the outfit was known as Jaguar, this is his ninth season at Milton Keynes.
Now is the time for a change of scenery, but that doesn’t mean the Australian is the only one who might not be at Red Bull much longer.
Sebastian Vettel has won three (consecutive) drivers’ championships at Red Bull, a feat which will be remembered for many years to come, and take a great effort to match.
However, there comes a time when a relationship reaches its summit – Michael Schumacher was cast aside two years after claiming his fifth consecutive title with Ferrari, and the signs were there during the Malaysia Grand Prix that the German is testing the patience of Christian Horner and Adrian Newey a little too much for their liking.
In previous seasons, the German has ruffled feathers with his obsessive hunt for the fastest lap during the dying stages of a race, his latest refusal to acknowledge team orders may have taken matters one step too far.
Perhaps irreversibly.
One doesn’t need reminding of Turkey 2010, when Vettel took it upon himself to dive down the inside of an unsuspecting Webber, a move which ended in tears, fraying intra-team relations for the remainder of the season.
Those wounds have been reopened with the latest incident.
This early into the season, the fallout has the potential to destabilise the entire outfit’s title defence.
Horner wasn’t afraid to admit Vettel defied the team’s instruction to remain behind Webber, remarking, “He knew what the communcation was. He had the communication. He chose to ignore it.
“He put his interest beyond what the team’s interest was.”
Horner echoed Webber’s podium interview sentiments, adding, “Obviously Sebastian… chose to take things into his own hands.”
An individual who has made no secret of his awe at Vettel’s achievements, his comments are telling.
Even Vettel supporter no.1 Helmut Marko was bemused by the situation, saying matters had “got out of control”, unlike his usual stance in supporting his protégé irrespective of the circumstances.
The worst kept secret in the paddock is that the German wants to one day race for Ferrari, many see this as an inevitable outcome, and Vettel may have taken a step towards the exit door at Milton Keynes sooner than anticipated.
However, as long as Fernando Alonso is at Ferrari, Vettel is unlikely to be there, and should he continue to flout the team’s wishes, he may be forced to look elsewhere in the interim.
Elsewhere could be Mercedes.
The irony of such a move wouldn’t be lost on Lewis Hamilton, after it came to light that the Briton asked Bernie Ecclestone to secure him a seat alongside Vettel at Red Bull for this season, prior to switching to the German marque.
Season 2013 is still in its infancy, 17 rounds remain and already the title favourites have a massive headache on their hands, which risks developing into something much worse, especially if Vettel continues to take things into his own hands.
Mat Coch
Roar Guru
Together Mark and Seb have delivered 6 world championships and almost 40 wins. They are an incredibly successful partnership. Ahead of them lies only Schumacher and Barrichello.
Mat Coch
Roar Guru
Together Mark and Seb have delivered 6 world championships and almost 40 wins. They are an incredibly successful partnership. Ahead of them lies only Schumacher and Barrichello.
Mat Coch
Roar Guru
Mateschitz can't play te bad cop. He has Marko for that. He cannot be critical of either driver without receiving poor press. Mark was guilty of ignoring team orders in Brazil. He was guilty of ignoring team orders in Silverstone a few years ago too. There are two sides to this coin. What Vettel did was wrong, but did you really expect a triple world champion to sit behind his nine-time race winning teammate? It is that killer instinct which makes him the driver he is; he is more like Senna that we care to remember (not that I believe Senna was especially good for the sport). Changes at Red Bull are hard to see; there is not yet a ready replacement. Neither Ricciardo or Vergne have done another and to employ another driver would be an admission that Marko's grand plan has failed. The question of whether Seb did was sporting is another issue.
Jo M
Guest
Hey Johnno, Just clicked onto this for the first time tonight. What was the dinner menu? I guess Indian is gone cause the cricket is over. Schnitzel, sauerkraut and stein's instead of lassi's and butter chicken and coconut fish and rogan josh?
Jo M
Guest
Brilliant question, Blaze.
Mark Young
Roar Guru
Oh I agree Stam, Mark is not as good as Seb. However, I think Red Bull want to keep him because he is good enough to be right behind Seb, and take points away from the McLarens, Ferraris etc. We all saw what happened when Alonso took the fight up basically alone last year until the last few races. So they want to keep him motivated enough to drive hard, hence my spec that Red Bull with 'punish' Sebastian. The other thing, is that Mark has won some Pukka Grand Prix. He was immense at Silverstone last year, and has won Monaco twice, and you don't win Monaco once if you are a slouch.
stam
Roar Rookie
Bayden do you honestly believe that they will ever boot Seb out? The only way I see him leaving red bull is if its his own decision
stam
Roar Rookie
I dont think you can put this rivalry up there Mark. Unfortunately Seb is quicker on almost every track, qualifies better, starts better etc. It's just every now and then Webber can get ahead of Seb. It's not a rivalry when Seb and I think Webber knows that if they are racing neck and neck Seb is going to win everytime
Johnno
Guest
Forget the Hamilton's and jenson button's there leading drivers, they'd of course say no. Money talks Blaze, the average drivers if were offered millions of dollars, or a young up-start driver looking for there big break i'm sure they would, 2 or 3 million a year, to clean the plates when Vettel has finished his apple strudel, im sure many in the world would. $2-3million a year, to clean plates and make Vettell apple strudel, no problems there you'd get 20 drivers lined up right away doing whatever it takes ti please our favourite son Vettel, and make him his favourite apple strudel, and as he is a little precious pedantic boy, he loves his shirts pressed so ironing must be done too. $2 or $3million most upcoming or veteran drivers would be in like Flynn.
Blaze
Guest
Johnno, can you do me a favour mate? Can you actually ask the rest of the drivers in the field if they would be happy to be vettels bitch for their racing careers? I'd be really interested to know who would put their hands up, and I'm sure the team they are driving for would like to know also...
Blaze
Guest
Question is, how many other top drivers in the field would want vettel as their team mate?..
Warren
Guest
Strewth Johnno, your ramblings here are as bad as over on the Union blog!
Johnno
Guest
Marky little Canberra raiders ball boy from Quenbeyan when he was a kid, has to accept his place on the food chain. He is just not that important in the red bull set up. He is the puppet the clear No 2, and the rules are clear. Seb can do what he likes, and if you don't like it leave. Mark knows the score, yet he takes the millions, yet he complains, oh poor baby. It's Mark with the problem, not i love strudel, and crisp shirts and i'm a precious little thing Vettal, or Red Bull. Red Bull make it clear who there favourite son is, and if you don't like it leave. So Mark should just leave if he want's and craves fairness so much. Instead he whinges and complains yet is happy to take Red Bull's millions. Go and have a red bull Mark, and have a cry poor didums. Many drivers would do anything to be in Mark's position, earn millions as the no 2 driver and being a puppet to precious princey whiny has to be the favourite son i love my apple strudel and Europe, Vettal. Maybe running the go-kart track, at your local Quenbeyan, where you can be treated as top dog, maybe more to your liking Mark.
Tlux
Guest
Vettel is up there with Alonso and Hamilton as the biggest names in the sport. Any team would have any of them. So here are his non-redbull options. - Ferrari - Mclaren - Mercedes - Renault (err.. i mean Lotus) I think Mclaren could be a place for him in the future. Whilst at this moment, they arent competitive, they will win a race this season, and will fight for championship next year or year after.
Sean
Guest
The whole premise that Red Bull would ever consider letting Vettel go while he is at the top of his game, is so fanciful, it is absurd!
Bayden Westerweller
Roar Guru
At no point does the article suggest RB should favour Webber...
Michael Waldron
Roar Rookie
Could the problem be the 'team orders' concept? If the drivers were allowed to end the race on their own terms, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
Sean
Guest
This is quite possibly the dumbest, out-of-touch theory i have ever read on this site. Red Bull are NEVER going to favour an ageing 36 year old driver in the twilight of his career (who has consistently and systematically been upstaged by his team mate), over a concurrent, 3 time, hugely marketable, in his prime, world champion. I think Stam's rebuttal states it perfectly by just saying "No".
Mark Young
Roar Guru
Gday Bayden! It will be fascinating to see how this all sorts out at Red Bull won't it? I tend to think they will come down on Sebs side but you feel it could well be on Mark's side. Martin brundle made a fascinating point that Mark's palce in the team is secure because Dietritch Masechitz is a huge fan. The best scenario, from our perspective is that the punish Vettel, a little, which motivates both him and Webber to go at each other like dogs all season long. It could be the tastiest in team fight since Ralf and Montoya, or Mansell and Prost, or Senna and Prost, or Prost and Arnoux (actually Prost had a few falling outs didn't he!)
stam
Roar Rookie
No