By Jay
September 10 2010

Article 39.1 that bans team order is unclear about what constitutes a team order.

This is the point that was put forward by the Ferrari team, that helped them escape further penalty, and prompter WMSC to review the team order ban rule.

There were no doubts that team orders were issued, wherein benefiter of the team order viz., Fernando Alonso was allowed to run on higher engine revs a few laps before the message was delivered to his team-mate Felipe Massa that “Fernando is faster than you”.

This was immediately followed by Felipe Massa slowing down, and Fernando taking the lead.

Ferrari first argued on two counts that the information was passed as a team strategy and secondly that both drivers don't challenge each other and take both of them out of the race, giving example of what happened at Turkey when Red Bull drivers collided as Sebastian Vettel attempted to pass Mark Webber for the lead.

Though the second part of the defence by Ferrari was accepted by FIA as legitimate, but rejected the first one, terming it to be a team strategy as it was clear that team orders were given to Massa.

It stated, it was “self-evident” that the communication to Massa “was an implied team order using a message”, and observed that “where there is pressure on a driver this is equivalent to team orders”.

However, it also accepted Ferrari argument that Article 39.1 is unclear on what constitutes a team order, and that previous instances of apparent orders had not been punished.

It stated that there had been “many examples of what could have been said to be team orders in Formula 1 in recent years, and therefore there has been inconsistency in its application.

“Also its application to indirect team orders via messages where drivers raise no complaints is uncertain and difficult to detect and police."

“The Judging Body of the WMSC accepted that this may well have influenced Ferrari's approach.”

“In such a case the Judging Body of the WMSC considered the most appropriate course of action is to require that this issue be referred by the FIA to the F1 Sporting Working Group to review Article 39.1 of the Sporting Regulations,” the FIA said.

“The Judging Body of the WMSC noted the uncertainty and complexity surrounding the ban on team orders, and the difficulties of detecting and policing.”