Donkey of Malaysia

[Tazio]

From a professional POV I think Lauda should make a choice which job he wants most as in this case they clearly conflict. However I also think he was dead on, because IMHO Barbie could and should have made the easy pass in that situation.

[Shifter]

From a number of contenders, I think I have to give it to Alonso/Alonso's team for not pitting the car in. As soon as Alonso bypassed the pits, I said out loud "the wing won't last another lap". And it didn't.

As for Maldonado, I'm withholding comment because I think he's a shoo-in for 'Donkey of the Year'. So why pick on him race-by-race?

[AndyL]

From a number of contenders, I think I have to give it to Alonso/Alonso's team for not pitting the car in. As soon as Alonso bypassed the pits, I said out loud "the wing won't last another lap". And it didn't.

I'd definitely blame the team rather than Alonso. Presumably he would have felt some loss of downforce, but it couldn't have been too bad as his pace was still reasonable. He wouldn't have been able to see whether he had just lost some end fence/top elements, or done something more serious.

Seems like the Ferrari pit wall were the only people who were looking at that damage and not thinking that Alonso would definitely have to pit. Pretty astonishing decision-making.

[massafan4]

Alonso, obviously. He wanted too much, instead of sure and safety.

[airshifter]

I'm just trying to imagine Ferrari telling Fernando: "Seb is out, just gift those 7 extra points to Felipe". Yeah, right. RB's authority was in tatters when they came up with that ridiculous call. Vettel merely drove the point home by making them look like clowns, as did Ross Brawn by keeping Nico behind for no good reason. If nothing else, yesterdays race showed what a friggin' shambles F1 has become. Race fixing in the second GP. If I wanted to see rigged races, I could just as well watch NASCRAP.

RB doesn't have to make calls that the fans like, or that the drivers like. They have huge amounts of money invested, and they can decide how or when to protect the cars and/or drivers as they are both company assets. Being that doing so is now within the rules, they can do it in public as well.

I can guarantee you one thing. If I managed a team and a driver did such a thing, I would be making it very, very clear that being a WDC doesn't guarantee a seat the following year. If the contract allowed I would also fine or withhold pay from such a person.

I don't like team orders myself, and wish there was a way to police them and make them against the rules again. But to me this is simply a case of a very well paid employee (or contractor more likely) that has ignored direct and concise instruction from the employer.

[ioan]

If someone like myself were to write a criticism of my employer on Facebook for instance, I couldn't defend myself by suggesting they make the distinction between me the Design Engineer at work and me the civilian who has a freedom of speech to make public condemnations. It doesn't really work like that and someone in Lauda's position is more than aware of that I would hope.

Only that Lauda didn't criticize his employer, aka Mercedes, he criticized Brawn's decision, and Brawn at this time sits lower then Lauda in the Mercedes F1 team. Which makes your analogy unsuited.
PS: And Lauda also mentioned that what Brawn did is not according to Mercedes racing ethics, and he was right. So he did nothing to wrong his employer.

[truefan72]

I can't for the life of me understand why the hired Lauda of all people. The guy cannot keep his mouth shut and will not do the organisation anything good. Next they're going to hire Eddie Jordan.

Lauda who was one of my boyhood hero's as was Gerhard Berger, are now known more for their absurd statements and mishaps, poor inter-team atmospheres and generally annoying the heck out of everyone.
If anyone is going to be gone sooner than later it is Lauda. And speaking of team orders etc, this is a driver who in his career benefited from #1 status on several occasions. and now can't see the irony of his comments.
He drove in an era where the #1 driver had the 3rd car fitted to his specs, who had every advantage afforded to them, many times to the detriment of the second driver.

[truefan72]

RB doesn't have to make calls that the fans like, or that the drivers like. They have huge amounts of money invested, and they can decide how or when to protect the cars and/or drivers as they are both company assets. Being that doing so is now within the rules, they can do it in public as well.

I can guarantee you one thing. If I managed a team and a driver did such a thing, I would be making it very, very clear that being a WDC doesn't guarantee a seat the following year. If the contract allowed I would also fine or withhold pay from such a person.

I don't like team orders myself, and wish there was a way to police them and make them against the rules again. But to me this is simply a case of a very well paid employee (or contractor more likely) that has ignored direct and concise instruction from the employer.

and it wasn't even a fair fight they were told to turn their engines down. Webber did so, Vettel disobeyed and used the advantage to pass Webber. There was nothing ridiculous about the situation. I bet you if the tables were turned, dj_bystander would be screaming bloody murder, and spouting an RBR conspiracy to shaft the "german" driver.

[dj_bytedisaster]

and it wasn't even a fair fight they were told to turn their engines down. Webber did so, Vettel disobeyed and used the advantage to pass Webber. There was nothing ridiculous about the situation. I bet you if the tables were turned, dj_bystander would be screaming bloody murder, and spouting an RBR conspiracy to shaft the "german" driver.

Bull****. Mark already did disobey team orders twice and I didn't scream bloody murder. Don't try to predict my reaction based on how you would react Mr. truefanboy.

[henners88]

Only that Lauda didn't criticize his employer, aka Mercedes, he criticized Brawn's decision, and Brawn at this time sits lower then Lauda in the Mercedes F1 team. Which makes your analogy unsuited.
PS: And Lauda also mentioned that what Brawn did is not according to Mercedes racing ethics, and he was right. So he did nothing to wrong his employer.

I'm sorry but it is very unprofessional for a 'non excutive chairman' to undermine the principle of the team in public. It is Lauda's job to head meetings and act as the team representative to the outside world. Criticising the team heads decision to the worlds media without conducting an internal meeting to discuss matters is unprofessional regardless of how individuals speculate on who is higher up the team order than the other. You say Mercedes do not possess racing ethics where team orders are called yet had very different ethics back in 1998 when they had a hand in the favouritism of Mika. I think this is either a loose claim or the ethics are adapted to suit any given situation. Personally I think Lauda was just speaking before thinking and perhaps being a little too emotional about his own favourite driver within Mercedes. Most of us here are of the opinion Nico deserved the place instead of Hamilton on merit, but that is our opinion, not hiding behind supposed ethics of compromising our professional positions.