It is worth remembering that Massa also ignored team orders in Malaysia.

As the saying goes, drivers have to obey orders, because they are employees. And even if the call doesn't make sense, they still have to obey like in army - you don't start discussing whether the decision is good, you just go for it.

But we have seen lots of times (not only in top teams, but even in midfield) that drivers take the matters into their own hands if they feel the call doesn't make sense. We may discuss whether this is right or wrong, but that's what they do. And this is interesting psychology. Driver also has got a message - "hey I am racing for a result and I don't want to get my race compromised by a strange call".

From the top of my head even my personal favourite Jarno Trulli disobeyed a team order at Suzuka 2006, because he wanted to finish ahead of Ralf, while Ralf was considered to have a shot at beating someone else too, who eventually finished ahead of the pair.

I think there are many-many instances we even don't remember or don't know about. But that's life. Teams may make the calls, but in the end drivers decide, how much sense the call makes. A bit of democracy.

Drivers may back down if they feel they put the intra-team harmony at great risk or are even their job is at risk. IIRC Barrichello in Austria 2002 was told that they might need to review his contract if he disobeyes - this was told over the radio. As a result he gave up. Also Rosberg may have thought in Malaysia 2013 that perhaps for in-team harmony he needed to give up now for the long-term benefit. Because Hamilton was still new to the team and Rosberg didn't want to alienate from the team so quickly. But as by now Rosberg has established much better himself in the team and a real competitor to Hamilton in WDC, I think he is more likely to disobey in the future.