The law breaker, Ferrari celebrates the end of ‘Team Ordering’ ban
While the Formula One teams and fans are still debating on the positive and negative effects of allowing ‘Team Orders’ Ferrari team boss, Stefano Domenicali has expressed his delight for the FIA decision.
The 2010 season saw a lot of controversy and drama on and off the grid owing to the team ordering practiced by Ferrari, again this year. However, as the ban now gets lifted, the Ferrari team boss hails the decision of FIA pronouncing it an end of a "pointless
hypocrisy."
‘Team orders’ is a race strategy that got banned in 2002, which allowed one of the team members, on receiving orders from the team, to hand over his race position to his teammate, so that the other could have a better race finish. The FIA regulation disallowed
this by prohibiting any race strategy that allows the teams or the drivers to manipulate the race results. However, the law was very often breached by the Italian squad, Ferrari, the team because of which the law was actually enforced by FIA.
The Ferrari duo, Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher became a permanent example of ‘team orders’ during the early 2000s. In 2002, the German was granted a victory by Barrichello, at the Austrian Grand Prix, when the latter slowed down close to the
last race laps. Although, there had been several such instances between the two, but this one got even more publicity as there was no reason behind depriving Barrichello from his victory. Schumacher had already secured his championship by then, that year and
Ferrari was evidently dominating the constructors’ championship. After the act, FIA strictly disallowed any act by the teams that could alter a race result.
However, once again, it was Ferrari earlier this season, practicing the same at the Hockenheim track, during the German Grand Prix. The team driver, Felipe Massa was asked to slow down at the last laps of the race to allow his teammate, Fernando Alonso to
win the race in order to come back to the title contention after having a lulled mid-season.
As the race finished, the team was immediately fined a penalty of US $100,000 and the issue was further forwarded to
World Motor Sport Council (WMSC). However, the team did not receive any further punishment nor any change in their points or position was seen. Ferrari assured WMSC, that they did not ask Massa for handing over his victory and that their infamous
radio message, "Fernando is faster than you," was only to inform the driver of the current race situation. However, everyone believes that it was a coded message that asked the driver to move aside and let Alonso bag his second victory. However, the team and
its driver, Alonso despite of receiving a lot of condemnation for their act stood firm on the decision while Massa kept playing the role of a second driver for the team.
Despite of the so called ‘cheating’ act of the team, Ferrari had not been able to lay its hands on any of the championships. While, on the other hand, the winner of both the driver’ as well the as constructers’ championship, Red Bull insisted all through
the season that it will not follow team orders and let both its drivers fight freely until the very last round of the season.
However, as FIA now lifts the ban on team ordering, Domenicali hails the decision saying, "Finally, we have said goodbye to this pointless hypocrisy. For us, Formula 1 is a team sport and we have always maintained that viewpoint and it should be treated
as such. The decision taken [by the FIA] is very important.”
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