In normal scenarios, the driver obeys orders and lets his teammate go ahead. However, there have been times in F1 history when these orders have caused serious controversy and scandal.
Interestingly, radio was not part of Formula 1 before, but that didn’t stop the use of team tactics. Teams gave orders to their drivers during a pit stop. At that time, pit stops were not as quick as today and tire changes took a long time. This was a great opportunity for the teams to interact with their riders.
The most controversial cases of using team tactics in F1
#5 Belgium 1998: Jordan, Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher
The rainy Belgian Grand Prix of 1998 gave Team Jordan a great chance to take the top two spots on the podium. Damon Hill led with Ralf Schumacher in second.
The German, however, was going faster than the Englishman. But the team didn’t want the two riders to clash. Schumacher was ordered to stop attacking Hill and lost his chance to win the race.
#4 Germany 2010: Ferrari, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa
“Fernando is faster than you. Confirm that you understand.”
This was the message Filipe Massa received during the 2010 German Grand Prix. At that time, team orders were still banned in Formula 1. Race engineer Rob Smedley suggested to Massa that his teammate Fernando Alonso is not tasked with fighting for victory.
Interestingly, this race proved that teams cannot stop giving orders to their drivers, and the FIA lifted the ban in 2011. The ban was established after the Ferrari incident in 2002. At the end of account, it was thanks to Ferrari that the ban was both introduced and then lifted almost ten years later.
#3 Malaysia 2013: Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber
During his era of dominance, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel tried to win every race he could. An interesting moment happened during the 2013 Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix.
During the race, his teammate Mark Webber was faster and should have overtaken the German, so the team told Vettel to let the Australian pass to prevent his rivals from fighting for first place.
It was a direct order to give way to his teammate, but Vettel did not obey. The two men fought for victory until the end, and Vettel ultimately won.
#2 Brazil 2022: Red Bull, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
In 2022, Red Bull won almost every second race, but the team did not perform well at the Brazilian Grand Prix. World champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were only sixth and seventh.
The Mexican let his teammate pass on lap 67, allowing him to attack and overtake Fernando Alonso, who was in fifth position.
After the team realized that Verstappen could not advance any further, Red Bull asked Max to allow Perez to pass him on the final lap, returning his position, but the Dutchman did not obey and then declared on the radio that he never would. asked again. Abandon your position. Quite selfish and hypocritical, considering the fact that he himself happily beat Perez without putting up a fight. The red carpet should only be rolled out for the Dutchman.
Pérez needed this fifth place to fight with Charles Leclerc for second place in the championship, which he ultimately lost at the end of the season.
#1 Austria 2002: Ferrari, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello
The most famous example of team tactics in Formula 1. A shameful Grand Prix after which the FIA decided to ban team orders for almost a decade.
At the 2002 Formula One Austrian Grand Prix, Rubens Barrichello was leading the race and was on the verge of victory when he was asked to cede first place to Michael Schumacher. The order was given by Jean Todt, then head of the Ferrari team. Barichello held out for 10 laps and gave up on the final lap when direct threats were made to stop working with the team.
What outraged fans the most was that the exact same incident happened exactly a year ago and also at the Austrian Grand Prix. Then Barichello let Schumacher pass after the team order in the last corner, but Michael did not win the race, but finished second.
Schumacher, as a sign of respect, allowed Barrichello to take the top step of the podium and presented him with the winner’s trophy. Ferrari was fined $1 million by the FIA after the race. Team orders were later banned in Formula 1.
After 9 years the ban was lifted and we see again how much number two suffers for the sake of a particular rider. In the end, it is not the strongest driver at a given moment who can win, but the one who needs it the most and on whom the team bets.
Vyacheslav Gorbachev/Athletistic
Source: Sport
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
