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Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has revealed that Mark Webber asked for Sebastian Vettel to 'back off' from him the lap before their collision in the Turkish Grand Prix.

Vettel was attempting to pass Webber for the lead approaching the final corners on lap 41 of the race when contact between them left Vettel with race-ending damage and dropped Webber from first to third - handing McLaren a one-two.

Although Webber had led the race from the outset, Vettel closed on him just prior to the crash and, in an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT, Horner said Webber had radioed the team asking if Vettel could ease off - a request Red Bull was unwilling to allow with the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button close behind.

"It was quite clear that with the speed advantage the McLarens had on the straight, it was impossible to fall back into them," Horner told AUTOSPORT.

"Mark had requested the lap before to ask Sebastian to back off a bit. There was no way you could do that because of the McLarens being right there."

Horner acknowledged that Vettel had the faster pace at the time of the incident.

"It looked like Mark started to struggle with the rear tyres a bit more - that's what it looked like on the pit wall," said Horner. "And Sebastian, between laps 38 and 39, really closed up rapidly to the back of Mark, obviously got a run on him on lap 40 and they both found themselves in a situation they didn't want to be in."

He remains confident that the crash has not done irrevocable damage to the intra-team relationship.

"We're fortunate that both our guys are mature, balanced individuals," Horner said. "Obviously emotions were running high on Sunday, but they're both professionals.

"They are probably not going to be down the pub for a drink together, but they will continue to work professionally in the manner that they have done in the forthcoming races. They work for the team at the end of the day and they know what the rules are."

I am just as much of a fan of racing as anyone. But looking at it from a team perspective, in this scenario team orders make sense. It's not like Webber was way off the pace with a problem, like, say, Alonso in China 4 years ago - Vettel was faster but not fast enough to mount a serious challenge. Most of the other top teams would do the same - McLaren and Ferrari certainly would and have done this in the past. Red Bull need to learn that to be a top team in F1, you can't please everyone. It wouldn't have been good to watch but it would've been effective - they probably would've held on for the 1-2

Either that or they just wanted Vettel in front and they didn't care if Webber was going to drop to 4th, which would've cost them 6 points in the WCC. And if you consider the whole engine adjustment story, it isn't as far-fetched as it might seem

He didn't pass him. He got alongside him and then tried to drive him off the road.

other top teams would do the same - McLaren and Ferrari certainly would

Erm...Button and Hamilton were having a great battle just after that incident....

Except that he was, and he even passed him. Have you even watched the race?

He didn't pass him. He got alongside him and then tried to drive him off the road.

But he didn't pass him. He didn't clear the car. He got his front wheel ahead but that is not a pass

This is just a completely asinine comment.

I think you should call it a pass as he was 2/3 over Mark Webber at the moment of the incident

Their wheels were still overlapping. It's not a pass. A pass has to be completed

So according to your theory, if you are a micrometre ahead at the start-finish line on the last lap, it's not a pass.