Alonso Says Drivers Must Always Obey Team Orders – Hmm…
Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso says thatdrivers are ‘obliged’ to follow team orders when they are given from the pit gantry.
Alonso was asked by a young journalist if “you have ever received a team order you did not responded to?”
Alonso replied, “No. Normally when the team says something you must obey, because they have all the information and [they] know what’s going on.”
“You can ask them on the radio why you have to do something [which they have requested] to try and understand the order, but you must always obey,” added the Spaniard.
Famously at the 2010 German GP Alonso’s teammate at the time, Felipe Massa, was informed by his engineer, “Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?”
This was a thinly veiled team order for Massa to allow Alonso to get past, which the Brazilian did much to his consternation.
In 2014 Kimi Raikkonen rejoins Ferrari as teammate to Alonso. (Apex)
Subbed by AJN.
MyTake
In the spirit of full disclosure I would like to say, I am a Fernando Alonso fan. I think he is the best, most complete, the highest rated (which ever descriptor you care to use) driver currently in F1. Many fans would be happy to debate this or just flat out say I’m wrong in this belief. No matter, but some context was needed prior to what I am about to say next.
This is a pretty bold statement from Alonso in lieu of the fact there might be some team orders this year that will presumably work against the Spaniard.
It is quite possible the Ferraris will be starting most races very close to each other, i.e. side by side however staggered. In the area of pit strategy Alonso and Raikkonen will be very close in regards to when they are asked to pit and where they re-join the race. Surely there will be races were Alonso and Raikkonen will be nose to tail in the last five to ten laps from the checkered flag, one faster than the other. I witnessed this many times over the last four years at Red Bull, which became a point of contention between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber – culminating in the Multi 21 debacle at the beginning of last year.
I will be using this word frequently up to the first race and more than likely throughout the year. It will be very Interesting to see how this issue of Team Orders plays out this year especially at Maranello…
-jp-
AmerF1can 