Off topic - Formula 1

Sebastian Vettel has stated in an interview that he would 'probably' ignore team orders again if asked to not overtake his team mate. To any not in touch with the sport but still reading this, the race this stemmed from was filled with controversy. Vettel and his team mate Mark Webber were in 2nd and 1st place respectively, and were both ordered by their team manager to turn their engines down to a more fuel efficient but lower performing set up to ensure their fuel sees them through the race and to maintain position. Webber followed the order, but Vettel ignored it and used his now much faster car to overtake and steal the win.

It poses an interesting situation as to whether Vettel is in the right here. For me it's not clear cut. Every man on the track should want to win the race, and agreements between team mates to hold positions or worse deliberately slow down and impede other cars progress is wrong, and shouldn't be allowed. But when an order is given for both cars to slow down and one ignores it to steal a win, that shows a massive level of disrespect to your team mate. It's important to take into account that the win was stolen - Vettel had a much faster car and therefore driving skill became practically irrelevant. Vettel had been trying to overtake for some time already and had been failing.

I'd have a different opinion if both had the same level of performance from their cars. What Vettel did was straight robbery and he is in the wrong.

Never got the whole team concept of F1. To me, every man should be going all out to win. I don't blame Vettel, I'd have done the very same thing.

So you're saying that giving team orders is wrong, but that someone ignoring those orders is also wrong? Actually, I agree with you! The whole system of team orders seems to be against the spirit of any form of sporting competition - as I understand it (but correct me if I'm wrong), it's there because there is a constructor's championship to win as well as the driver's championship. But it still smacks of match-fixing.

Webber now knows what to do the next time he receives any such team orders, then.

Not that I particularly care much - I find motor racing only marginally worse than horse racing in terms of sheer unexcitedness. My 94-year-old mother, on the other hand, is a keen fan, and has followed Jensen Button's career for years.

R-DONO wrote:Never got the whole team concept of F1. To me, every man should be going all out to win. I don't blame Vettel, I'd have done the very same thing.

Even knowing its your team mate in front, now driving a car that can in no way compete against yours? As I said that's the tipping point for me, it's an insult to Webber.

And yes Tonker, I guess that is what I'm saying

I don't think team orders should be given but I also feel that's no excuse for ignoring them, especially when it results in you effectively p*****g all over your team mate.

They exist because of the teams vestedw interest in preservation of the cars. Theirs te constructors championship as you said obviously, but also the simple fact that two cars overtaking each other is risking an accident and your two drivers taking each other out would be a disaster.

I'd rather win the drivers championship than the constructors championship.
The team side of it is stupid. It is not a team sport.

I dont like the sport, but regardless of that, what Vettel did was morally wrong. A may have got victory, but it was a victory in it's most shallow form.

i was so pissed off - sauerkraut