Sebastian Vettel has criticised team orders in F1, saying that it is a ritual that nobody on the grid likes.
Team orders mean that the driver who receives them has to make way for his teammate. Sometimes, the teammate is dealt team orders quite harshly, and that’s when fans disagree with them.
The upcoming Mexican GP will present an interesting dilemma. Red Bull has Sergio Perez driving at home, and he will want to win in front of his home fans. However, his teammate is in a title race, so logically, Perez should not be a priority.
The four-time world champion knows a thing or two about team orders, having infamously disobeyed one himself during his Red Bull days. Vettel criticised team orders in F1, and said that no driver is a fan of them.
“There’s two different team orders,” he said, as quoted by Race Fans.
“There’s the team order that you give way and you get it back in the same race if you are on different strategies, and then there’s obviously the team order where clearly one has to get out of the way to make the other one score more points.
“Now, even if maybe the situation is logically very easy to explain, I still think it’s bad and I would be in favour of not having any team orders ever. I think it’s just (that) nobody likes it.”
Vettel backed Perez in the home race conundrum, saying, “If Checo happens to be ahead, then Checo should stay ahead.
Seal of approval
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas stated that should team orders come his way, he will make way for his championship contender teammate.
“Realistically I’m not in the championship battle anymore and I’m a team player,” Bottas said.
“For me it would be important that, as a team, (if) we could get the fifth constructors title together in a row, that will be already quite a big achievement.
“I want to get as many points as I want and if there will be an opportunity in a reasonable way to help Lewis in the fight, obviously, as his teammate, I’ll do it. So I think that’s the mindset and approach, really. So it’s not that different to some races ago.”
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