F1 Update from the iSport F1 Pitstop: iSporter and Motorsport Expert Kunal Shah writes about the much needed ban on team orders in Formula1.
The FIA must be applauded for its consistency (in changing the same rules!) and yes of course ambiguity! While F1 fanatics were missing F1 action over the weekend, the FIA decided to make the sport more interesting by lifting the ban on team orders.
For history sake, team-orders have always been a part of Formula1, however, modern F1 got a crude taste of it at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix. Ferrari notoriously decided to employ team orders and instructed race leader and no. 2 driver Rubens Barrichello to move over and allow Michael Schumacher to pass - thereby granting him the race win and an extra 4 points boost (those days 10-6-4-3-2-1 system was used) in the driver's points tally.
While Michael Schumacher won the race, Ferrari were booed post-race and subsequently handed over a penalty. However, not many know that the penalty was not because they employed team-orders, but because the Ferrari drivers refused to follow podium protocol. During the podium ceremony, Michael Schumacher stepped off and pulled his team-mate Barrichello towards the top step of the podium; thereby breaching protocol and of course embarrassing the diplomats who were waiting to hand over the prizes.
The FIA acted funny that weekend, but later banned team-orders. There's an article of some number that states this ban. However, to me, this ban is ridiculous. Formula1 has always been a team sport and the biggest testimony to this is the very fact that we have a Constructor's World Championship - that takes into account the points scored by both the cars.
The 2010 German Grand Prix brought up the team-orders issue once again. This time, Ferrari ordered Felipe Massa to move over and hand Fernando Alonso the race win. The message however was most cryptic and not a direct one. As expected, post race there was a big furore not just in the F1 paddock but also amongst the fans. The FIA once again decided to penalize Ferrari (German Grand Prix: Ferrari Receive A $100,000 Penalty) and they received a $100,000 fine - this time it was for issuing team orders and not breaching any protocol.
My opinion on this ban is simple - team orders will always exist. Whether the fans like it or not, F1 teams will find ways and means to always get their team's best driver to win. There is almost no way to ensure driver parity inside the pits and on-track. I am against team orders myself, but I think it is time we resent to the fact that it is almost impossible to ensure that there are no teams orders at any given time during the GP. (German Grand Prix: Team Orders Are Difficult To Control)
I think the FIA has acted smart in banning the orders. However, they have left it ambigious by co-joining the 'bringing the sport to disrepute' rule with the team-orders rule. There's no way that one can measure 'disrepute' to the sport and this is where I anticipate many an F1 battles here - in the Stewards room however!
The former Ferrari CEO and team boss Jean Todt, who is the current President of the FIA was instrumental in lifting this ban. Infact, it was Todt who instructed Barrichello to move over in Austria in 2002. Many fans believe that this was done to favour Ferrari - his former employers. However, not many were aware that Jean Todt was asked to resign from his Ferrari position and isn't the best of friends with Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo. This rule is very much a step in the right direction for Formula1 and hopefully will save us the embarrassment that was caused in 2002 and then of course in 2010.
I am glad F1 is out to shed its hypocrite image.
Kunal Shah is a former racer and writes extensively on www.isport.in
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