Sebastian Vettel overtakes Mark Webber at the 2013 Malaysian GP, Sepang – © Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credit: Sebastian Vettel trying to overtake Mark Webber at the 2013 Malaysian GP, Sepang – © Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0 – Wikimedia Commons
IN the long history of F1, few three-word codes have carried as much drama as “Multi-21”.
On the surface, it was a simple team order, a piece of radio jargon from Red Bull team, meant to keep the peace between their drivers.
But when 2013 Malaysian GP turned into a duel between Vettel and Webber, those words sparked one of the most explosive moments of their partnership!
What Multi-21 Really Meant
Inside Red Bull, “Multi-21” was shorthand for instructions about finishing order.
In short ’21’ meant that car #2 (Webber) should finish ahead of car #1 (Vettel)
It was a coded of saying, hold your positions, no fighting, bring the cars home safely.
Teams use such commands to prevent clashes, when it is not necessary, especially when running in a comfortable 1-2 position.
At Sepang in 2013, Red bull found themselves in exactly that scenario, after the final round of pitstops, Webber was leading the race, with Vettel right behind.
Tire wear was heavy, fuel management was critical and the team’s priority was simple, lock in the maximum points to avoid disaster.
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Why Vettel Didn’t Obey
But Vettel was never one to back off easily, especially when victory was in sight, several reasons fueled his decision to ignore the order.
He felt faster, he wanted to continue his dominance in F1, it’s not just he had fresher tires and better pace, but he wanted to show the world who he really is, already a three time world champion.
They pair’s relationship was already tense, and later Vettel admitted that his racer’s instinct took over, in the heat of battle he acted like a pure competitor and not like a team player.
So instead of holding station, he went wheel-to-wheel with Webber, what followed was a high-speed, risky fight that had everyone on the Red bull pit wall holding their breath.
What the Team Wanted
From the team boss prespective, Christian Horner, the call was simple, a safe 1-2 finish meant maximum points, no risk of contact and preserved engines and tires.
The team had already endured friction between its drivers and the last thing it wanted was a crash that would throw away both positions.
By issuing ‘Multi-21’ Red Bull tried to put a lid on the tension, but the instruction only made things worse, because once Vettel ignored it, relationship with Webber changed forever.
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How It Ended on Track
With 16 laps to go, Vettel launched his attack, the two cars ran dangerously close, nearly touching wheels down the main straight.
Webber squeezed Vettel, but Vettel refused to lift, and eventually the German muscled his way past around the outside of Turn 4.
The overtake stuck, Vettel went on to win the race, Webber crossed the line second, seething!
The Aftermath
The tension was obvious immediately, in the cool-down room before the podium, Webber turned to Vettel and said: “Mutli-21, Seb, Multi-21”.
It was his way of reminding him that the order has been crystal clear, yet ignored.
On the podium, Webber’s frustration was barely hidden, Vettel initially apologized to both Webber and the team, admitting he had ‘made a mistake’.
But days later, his tune shifted, he said he would probably do the same thing again if put in the same situation, for him, winning was the ultimate justification.
As for Red bull, they did not strip Vettel of the win or hand down any penalties
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What can we say more? “Multi-21”
That single race cemented the cracks in the Vettel-Webber partnership, though they had clashed before, Malaysia 2013 marked the point of no return.
Webber left F1 at the end of that season, while Vettel went to secure his fourth straight championship.
It was his last title win in Formula 1, in 2014 he continued to drive for Red Bull partnering Daniel Ricciardo, then in 2015 he joined Scuderia Ferrari.
‘Multi-21’ entered the F1 dictionary as shorthand for ignored team orders and intra-team betrayal.
Even years later, fans and pundits still bring it up whenever teammates fight against the wishes of the pit wall.
In the end, what was supposed to be a simple coded instruction, turned into one of the most famous controversies in modern F1.
In Malaysia that day, Vettel made his choice clear, he would rather be the racer who risked everything for victory than the obedient teammate who lifted off.
