Red Bull must decide whether to implore Vettel to back Webber

Yeongam: On second thoughts, maybe it wasn't such a great idea presenting Bernie Ecclestone with that Red Bull-branded zimmer frame in the Korean paddock before Sunday's race.

Formula One's commercial rights holder, who turns 80 on Thursday, appeared to take his birthday gift from the energy drink-backed team in the right spirit.

But having smiled for the cameras, for all we know Ecclestone marched down to race control and cranked up his fabled sprinkler system to ‘torrential' presaging a catastrophic three-hour period for Red Bull in which both their drivers' championship hopes were almost washed into the Yellow Sea.

Tight spot

Red Bull's implosion by the ocean handed the title initiative to Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard now holds an 11-point advantage over Mark Webber with two races to go and if history tells us anything it is that Alonso is not the kind to give up such an advantage easily.

Which puts Red Bull in a tight spot. Do they continue to treat their drivers equally?

To trust in the fact that the RB6 has generally been the quickest car all year, and allow their drivers to keep taking points off each other? Or, with two races left, do they try to load the dice in their favour by backing Mark Webber over Sebastian Vettel? First with new parts, first to pit, first call on when to go out in qualifying and most contentious of all, do they order Vettel out of the way for the Australian?

It's the same bind in which McLaren find themselves, albeit on a lesser scale. With Jenson Button all but out of the title race, he is likely to help out Lewis Hamilton without much cajoling from the team.

Vettel is a different matter. How do you ask a man who would be leading the championship were it not for the fact his engine blew with nine laps of Sunday's race remaining, to help out his teammate when he is only one win off the championship lead?

It would be fantastically cruel. Not to mention illegal, depending on what exactly Vettel was asked to do, given that team orders are banned. Mind you, as we have seen already this season, teams can basically get away with imposing team orders and expect to pay out pocket change in fines.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner conceded as long ago as the Italian Grand Prix that he would have to consider it after the FIA allowed Ferrari off the hook for using team orders at the German GP. So is he considering it?

"We have chosen not to go racing that way," Horner said.

"Both our drivers are still in this championship and I believe it will go right down to the last lap in Abu Dhabi. It is wrong to favour one driver over the other."

Little difference

Ferrari cannot believe their luck. Privately they have expressed delight that Red Bull would not contemplate backing their lead man at this stage.

People will say it makes little difference whether you choose to back one driver over the other.

But it could make all the difference. A rear gunner in Vettel, holding Alonso off and allowing Webber to break clear? A potent weapon if used.

The age-old debate over team orders is about to get another airing.