Ferrari is back on the top of the F1 podium again, but the 1-2 finish led by Fernando Alonso at Hockenheim has attracted plenty of flak for “team orders”, which is banned. Indeed, the Scuderia was slapped with a $100,000 fine and the case is being referred to the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC). After the race, team boss Stefano Domenicali faced a press pack full of questions.
When asked to explain why this situation wasn’t illegal team orders, Domenicali said: “I don’t know if I have to explain to you what are team orders. What I can say from my side is that if you are referring to the situation we have in mind, we gave an information to Felipe about what was the situation.
“Because we have already seen in the past that certain situations could not give the best result to the team. That was the information we wanted to give and we leave the drivers to understand and take notice of it in order to make sure the team, in terms of the global results, gets the best.”
The hacks pressed on, asking the chief if yesterday’s situation was any different from Austria 2002, where Rubens Barrichello was infamously ordered to let Schumacher pass and go on to win the race. “Honestly, I don’t know. What we said to him today was an information about the situation behind. That is what we said today,” he replied.
But didn’t Massa’s engineer Rob Smedley apologise to him? “It was not an apology this way. You have to consider the fact, and you can check with his communication on the radio several times in the past, that Rob Smedley’s is correctly in a very good conjunction with Felipe. This is the key of their success. He gave the information to Felipe and he saw what happened and he was not happy about the situation of the car that was not so fast – sorry – was slower than the other one,” was the reply given.
What do you think of this incident? Was Ferrari wrong in giving Alonso, who has a better chance of challenging for the title than Massa, a shot at the main prize?
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
gangully
on 
Roberto
on 
someone
on 
Jaybond
on 
fan
on 
squawk
on 
antaras
on 
Jeff
on 
motorist
on 
Citroen DS3
on 
Fair and Square
on 
KZM
on 
dickybird
on 
alldisc
on 
Ferruccio
on 
Ryan
on 
GeeCy
on 
hmm3
on 
Kwing
on 
mmouse
on 
Thorrel
on 
drMpower
on 
leonardo
on 
DK
on 
jmayor
on 
Rovert
on 
x-vios
on 
Luca di Montezemolo
on 
Arun
on 
vr46
on 
Felipe Massa
on 
Fernando Alonso
on 
KRaikkonen
on 
@#$%^
on 
2fast
on 
Wong Ping
on 
Gan Kok Chi
on 
Don
on 
samlee860407
on 
amirad
on 
zaidgsr
on 
Kok Hsien
on 
SHY
on 
TBH
on 
Voon
on 
fasgen
on 
ARI
on 
azrai
on 
Ordinary Joe
on 
trav_da_man
on 
bolo
on 
Prince Caspian
on 
pardiu
on 
rompak
on 
KZM
on 
osh_kosh
on 
FthisKZM
on 
AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments on the blog post largely focus on the controversy of Ferrari's team orders at Hockenheim, with many expressing disapproval of the perceived favoritism towards Alonso over Massa. Several criticize the legality and ethics of team orders, arguing they undermine genuine racing and viewer enjoyment, citing concerns about fairness and integrity. Others defend team strategies as normal in F1's competitive environment, emphasizing the sport's nature as a team effort designed to maximize results for sponsors and manufacturers. There is considerable debate about whether such decisions diminish the sport’s credibility, with some calling for stricter regulations or bans. Overall, sentiments reveal disappointment and frustration over the use of team orders, but some acknowledge their strategic necessity in high-stakes racing.