Mercedes drivers told to obey team orders in future

[driveace]

So is it being done as Mercedes want Rosberg to become World Champion this year ?
Or what other reason can they be thinking of?
We want to see a true RACE ,not a manufactured race decided by the owners of the team ,how is Hamilton supposed to feel if he is catching Alonso by 1 second a lap and stands a chance of leading the race ,to be told to slow and let his team mate past ,who cannot even run at the same pace? He let's his team mate past ,then his team mate is running a second a lap slower than he himself was ,Is he allowed to re overtake his team mate who is now hindering or sit behind and be overtaken by faster cars catching them both up

[AndyL]

Why did Ron Dennis feel it to be so important for Häkkinen to win a random race and risk losing in-team harmony and good working co-operation with DC? Especially before the great years that were to follow? After all, at that time (by 1997) Häkkinen hadn't proven to be better than Coulthard yet, and they were pretty close. So there was no clear case for preference

The only answer to that question I can come up with is that Ron Dennis moves in mysterious ways.

[journeyman racer]

So is it being done as Mercedes want Rosberg to become World Champion this year ?
Or what other reason can they be thinking of?
We want to see a true RACE ,not a manufactured race decided by the owners of the team ,how is Hamilton supposed to feel if he is catching Alonso by 1 second a lap and stands a chance of leading the race ,to be told to slow and let his team mate past ,who cannot even run at the same pace? He let's his team mate past ,then his team mate is running a second a lap slower than he himself was ,Is he allowed to re overtake his team mate who is now hindering or sit behind and be overtaken by faster cars catching them both up

I suppose it doesn't matter how any times you tell someone...

[journeyman racer]

Jerez in 97 was a last grasp attempt at getting Hakkinen a win, before a long off-season. You take a win any way you can, particularly when you haven't yet won, or it's infrequent. Nobody knew, at the time, Hakkinen was going to win the next two titles.

[Hawkmoon]

Jerez in 97 was a last grasp attempt at getting Hakkinen a win, before a long off-season. You take a win any way you can, particularly when you haven't yet won, or it's infrequent. Nobody knew, at the time, Hakkinen was going to win the next two titles.

Why did Hakkinen deserve the win more than Coulthard?

[airshifter]

One of the most curious/strangest team orders I can remember, was Jerez 1997. Basically like with Barrichello in 2002, Coulthard was threatened over the radio that he had to let Häkkinen past or his "contract would be reviewed", which meant the possibility of a sack. It was a call that didn't make sense to many - they weren't driving for the championship and Häkkinen wasn't on a different strategy.

The only reason for the call was that Ron Dennis wanted to "boost Häkkinen's confidence" so that the Finn would finally have a Grand Prix win. Usually team orders are used for practical reasons - either to make a strategy work (BMW Sauber Canada 2008) or for the championship fight (many cases). But in this case it was just to make a driver feel good and better. Obviously Coulthard didn't want to risk his position within McLaren as the car was coming good and he obeyed.

Why did Ron Dennis feel it to be so important for Häkkinen to win a random race and risk losing in-team harmony and good working co-operation with DC? Especially before the great years that were to follow? After all, at that time (by 1997) Häkkinen hadn't proven to be better than Coulthard yet, and they were pretty close. So there was no clear case for preference. Häkkinen had lost 3 race wins due to car failures during 1997 though and maybe Dennis sentimentally felt he owed a win for the Finn, who had already lost so many due to misfortune.

This situation was more complex than it seemed. I have a book with many statements from Ron Dennis that contradict what became known as the truth.

The gifted win is mostly true, and Dennis states that it was simply a confidence booster as Mika had raced hard but never scored a win yet. But part of it was also staying out of the way of the championship fight, as they had told Frank Williams they would do so. Mika was scheduled to pit first due to qually. But Coulthard ended up running in between MS and Jacques, so they pitted DC early to get him out of the way of Jacques. This disadvantaged Mika, so in the second round of stops they switched strategy back to sort of even the field.

In the book I have, Dennis makes it very clear that he did not threaten to sack DC if he didn't move. The only mention he claims to have made about contracts was that the McLaren contracts stated no team orders would be given when a driver still has a mathematical change of winning the title. Since that chance was out the window for both drivers, team orders were within their contracts.

[Doc Austin]

Unless I have my years mixed up, Coulthard had to move over for Mika at the very next race, the following year at Melbourne. Of course the circumstances were different because it was the result of an agreement between Mika and David, but Coulthard's gall bladder was probably ready to explode by then.

[N. Jones]

Dumb.

Hamilton is trying to win the Driver's championship. Him moving over to allow his team and Championship Leader, is just plain stupid.

[zako85]

^

Great post. I agree. When a team has a clear leader then team orders are admissible (and so Germany 2010 or similar is perfectly acceptable). But when a championship battle is still going on, it's baffling to me that the team can give orders. Stupid team order, just like Red Bull's order last year in Malaysia.

[dj_bytedisaster]

Dumb.

Hamilton is trying to win the Driver's championship. Him moving over to allow his team and Championship Leader, is just plain stupid.

The team doesn't give a flying expletive about that. Team interests come first as they are the ones who sign the paycheque. That's what people used as an argument to blast Massa in Malaysia and Vettel last year at the same location.