We asked you if it was too early for team orders and many of you felt that it was a tad soon to be orchestrating the outcome of races. This was prompted by the pass Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel put on his teammate Mark Webber after the team told him to hold station.
even Formula One boss bernie Ecclestone felt it may be too early for team orders and now Lotus boss Eric Boullier has weighed in with his feelings on the matter. A driver ignoring a team order is usually not a great thing but Boullier says it can happen:
“It happens because of the adrenaline and excitement of winning a race, but I think in Formula 1 it should not happen,” he said.
“Firstly, we should not have team orders so early in the season; not while the championship is at such an early stage. When it happens you need to fix it and fix it quickly.”
An interesting outcome of the disobedience is the discussion on what, if anything, should happen to Vettel for his insolence. Many were suggesting a race ban but that clearly isn’t going to happen to a 3-time champion. Still, Boullier thinks it should be something:
“Don’t forget that the drivers are paid to work for you, as they are for the company,” Boullier argued.
“I don’t see any people in the world who could disobey their company and not be sanctioned, or at least give clarification as to why they’ve disobeyed.”
Hindsight is always 20/20 and I wonder what may have happened if Romain Grosjean passed Kimi Raikkonen after being told to hold station? Would Lotus penalize him? Would Lotus penalize the marginally-interested Raikkonen if he had passed Grosjean after being told not to?
We’ve said it before, if this were Kimi making the move, the fans would love it but as it is, Vettel has been tarnished not because of the pass but because of who he is and some people see the young German as the second coming of 7-time Champion Michael Schumacher. Fortunately for both men, he isn’t… You’ll need to stop painting him with that brush.
