Team order issue takes centre stage at F1 finale (News Feature)

By John Bagratuni Nov 10, 2010, 4:06 GMT

Berlin - Don't expect a blunt team order from Red Bull on Sunday at the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix even if rivals Ferrari have done that in the past.

The infamous Ferrari team-radio remark, 'Let Michael (Schumacher) pass for the championship' to Rubens Barrichello back at the 2002 Austrian race prompted the ruling body FIA to outlaw team orders.

But that did not stop Ferrari on July 25 doing it again, thinly disguised, when Felipe Massa was leading the German GP from Alonso.

'Fernando is faster than you, did you understand that message?' Ferrari told Massa, and once Alonso had passed, 'OK, good lad. Just stick with him now.'

Ferrari were fined 100,000 dollars but the result stood and marked the stepping stone of Alonso's big comeback to the championship lead, eight points clear of Red Bull's Mark Webber and 15 ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the second Red Bull.

Many in the F1 scene have questioned the no-team-order rule because drivers are ultimately part of a team and must act according to its interests as well. There appears to be a trend to abolish the rule again if teams pledge to impose team orders as rarely as possible.

Red Bull have refrained from a team order which has kept both of their drivers in the title race. But some argue the move may have hurt Webber, especially when Vettel won from Webber (and Alonso) last Sunday in Brazil.

German news magazine Der Spiegel said on its website that Alonso is 'benefiting from a fair play rule that his own team abandoned months ago.'

Dethroned champion Jenson Button told British paper The Sun that a title victory for Alonso by seven points (the difference between first and second place in a race) would leave a sour aftertaste.

'I just hope if he wins it then he does so by more than seven points. Some will be disappointed with what happened at Hockenheim and question whether he deserves it,' Button said.

Red Bull, who won the constructors' title last weekend, has sent mixed signals about what will happen in Abu Dhabi if Vettel leads from Webber and Alonso again in the closing stages.

This scenario would give Alonso the title while Webber would lift the trophy if he wins ahead of Vettel and Alonso. Vettel would have no chance in this case as he needs to win and have Alonso in fifth place to secure the title.

Team principal Christian Horner suggested that while there would be no team order the drivers are aware of what is at stake and would surely take measures according to how the race develops.

'We will back both drivers equally. I am sure they will do whatever is right for the team, I have zero doubt about that. There will be no team orders, and I don't think there are any difficult decisions to be made,' said Horner.

'If they find themselves in a situation where one, because he can't win, needs to help the other then I can only imagine that they will do that. It will have to be a driver decision.' 'Had there been a situation in Brazil, if Fernando had been ahead, then Sebastian would have done what was right for the team - I just know that from the character of the guy,' Horner said.

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