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'Team orders' never really went away

July 28 - August 3, 2010
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The 'team orders' that caused a furore at the German Grand Prix were banned eight years ago after Ferrari and Michael Schumacher triggered a roar of outrage that echoed around the world.

In the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, the German won after Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello was ordered to move over at the last corner after leading from the start.

The fans reacted with uproar when an embarrassed Schumacher hauled Barrichello to the top of the podium in a breach of etiquette that drew a $1 million fine for the team from the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA).

Ferrari's actions on Sunday, when Brazilian Felipe Massa allowed team mate Fernando Alonso to pass him for victory with 18 laps to go, served as a reminder that such instructions have never gone away.

"There will come a point in the season where you've got to prioritise one driver, because he's got the best chance of winning the championship, and you've got to do what's best for the team," said Lotus technical head Mike Gascoyne.







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