Button needs 1 win to secure the 2011 WDC...

Bottom line is that team orders were against the rules when Ferrari used them last year.
It's not really about the rules, more to do with how it would be accepted generally.

Everyone was up in arms when Massa was forced to move over and more than once it was claimed if Alonso did win the WDC it wouldn't be deserved.

I just wondered if it would be the same here.

Apparently not.
 
It's not really about the rules, more to do with how it would be accepted generally.

Everyone was up in arms when Massa was forced to move over and more than once it was claimed if Alonso did win the WDC it wouldn't be deserved.

I just wondered if it would be the same here.
Personally I was up in arms last year because Ferrari cheated - they deliberately broke the rules as were in place at the time. Their excuses showed contempt for the sport and their competitors. So, for me, the situation would be different. To be fair, I would be more worried about the aliens that had scooped Seb up than whether Jenson deserved it, if it was to come about like you say. ;)
 
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I would claim that Seb probably deserves the title, even if the aliens from the planet Projectfourania were able to abduct Seb!
 
How many drivers have won the title where team orders have been invoked? Jody Sheckter without doubt, Mika Hakkinen without doubt, Damon Hill without doubt (in fact I seem to recall Jacques Villeneuve was told to stay behind Damon in the very first race of Hill's winning season), Michael Schumacher (of course), Mario Andretti (?), Sebastien Vettel. I don't think team orders really change my opinion of the qualities of any of those drivers or devalue any of their championships.
 
So why all the fuss last season then when Ferrari tried to help Alonso to the title?

It very nearly worked too, if not for a dreadful strategy call at the last race.
 
So why all the fuss last season then when Ferrari tried to help Alonso to the title?

It very nearly worked too, if not for a dreadful strategy call at the last race.

I think mostly because at that point in the season he didn't deserve the help and at that point in the season Massa did not deserve to get bent over. If your hypothetical scenario were to play out I think we and Lewis could say that Jenson had earned it. He'd have 7 wins to his name and would have anhialated his teammate.
 
So why all the fuss last season then when Ferrari tried to help Alonso to the title?

It very nearly worked too, if not for a dreadful strategy call at the last race.
'Cos few 'love' Alonso and see him as one of the 'bad guys' and therefore undeserving. He used to get as much negative publicity as some others who have featured prominently recently - maybe, p'raps' just a thought :thinking:
 
Damon Hill without doubt (in fact I seem to recall Jacques Villeneuve was told to stay behind Damon in the very first race of Hill's winning season),

There's a lot of doubt on that notion. Villenueve's Williams was spraying oil into Hill's face for a good few laps before the pass. Had he not eased up he would most likely have DNF'd. I remember that race well, since whilst I watched it in the comfort of my own armchair Snowy was in Melbourne, courtesy of Williams. I watched that race like a hawk in case I caught sight of him in one those "TV producer bored with the race again" moments!:) Some things stick in the memory. The yellow colour all over the front wing and tub of Hill's Rothmans Williams wasn't Camel trying to sneak their colours back on. Shame, I always preferred the Camel paint job.:rolleyes:
 
I forgot now Hamilton has to play support role to Button if it were the case of a win and Vettel is out of the race.

Now going back to the theory...YES because a) Mclaren want the title back badly and there will be sponsors etc at the last race in anticipation

b) If Hamilton refuses to move over.. he will cause a serious minefield not just for himself, Button and Mclaren but other teams who want to hire him for costing the team the drivers title unless off course you're Ferrari
 
So why all the fuss last season then when Ferrari tried to help Alonso to the title?

....

Well there certainly wasn't any fuss over it in Italy and probably not in Spain. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few other places where it was not a big issue either.
 
So why all the fuss last season then when Ferrari tried to help Alonso to the title?

It very nearly worked too, if not for a dreadful strategy call at the last race.
You trying to stir up trouble Brogan? ;)

There is a major difference between the two and it is simply down to mathematics.

All drivers on the grid were still in with a shout of winning the title (yes, even HRT/Virgin if all the cars in front had crashed every race). What you are talking about is a situation where no one other than one other driver has any hope of winning the title. I honestly believe some of the others would help Jenson as well (naming no names [cough...Alonso..cough]) just to stop Seb breaking the record..
 
Both Button and Hamilton are employees of the McLaren F1 team. A large part of their responsibilities is to achieve the best possible placings in the WCC and the WDC for the team. To this end Hamilton would be failing in his duty to his employer to not let Button through.
 
So why all the fuss last season then when Ferrari tried to help Alonso to the title?

It very nearly worked too, if not for a dreadful strategy call at the last race.

I don't think anyone would have a problem if going into the last race, with any team, if one driver could win the title and the other couldn't and found himself ahead of the one that could and being told to move over. That doesn't spoil anything in my opinion be it Ferrari, Mclaren or HRT it wouldn't matter, it would be pure common sense.

The big issue last year and in Austria when Ruben's got his contract reminder is that in the first part there was no need to do what they did at that part of the season, secondly, the driver behind in both cases was supposed to be the better driver and yet they couldn't get by their slower team mates. We know for example that Alonso was faster than Masssa because we heard it !! and finally, in both cases their had be constant denials about team orders or a 1-2 policy in the team.

If from the start of the season a team says we are putting in all our efforts into the number one driver and the number two driver will be doing all he can to support that then I don't think anyone would have a problem. Its the duplicity that I think wound most people up.
 
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