Red Bull: No team orders in Abu Dhabi

Christian Horner insists Red Bull Racing will not use team orders in Abu Dhabi, saying it's up to the drivers to decide what's best for them

Following their 1-2 finish in Brazil on Sunday afternoon, which went in Sebastian Vettel's favour, the Red Bull duo have closed up on Fernando Alonso in the race for the World title.

Alonso is still leading the hunt, although his advantage over Webber is only eight points while Vettel is a further seven off the pace.

However, should the trio finish in Abu Dhabi as they did in Brazil, Webber and Vettel would be tied on 256 points and Alonso would take the title, five ahead of the Bulls.

But, should Vettel move aside for Webber, the Aussie would win the title by two points over Alonso. Vettel would be 14 behind his team-mate.

Horner, though, is adamant Red Bull will not impose orders on Vettel, although he concedes it is up to his drivers to make the final decision.

"I don't think there are any difficult decisions to be made," Horner said about the situation.

"We have two drivers that drive for the team, who have had tremendous support and equality this year. It would have been wrong to switch the drivers (in Brazil), as both drivers have the chance of winning the World Championship.

"Nobody has a crystal ball, nobody can foresee what will happen next weekend and all along we have tried to do the best to support them equally.

"And of course if they find themselves in a situation where one, because he cannot win, needs to help the other then of course I can only imagine that they will do that. But it will have to be a driver decision.

"You only have to look at the characters of the individuals that drive for us to recognise that they will do the best to ensure the best team results."

Pressed as to whether he was sure Vettel would do right by Webber if he was leading his team-mate and Alonso was third, Horner said: "Ultimately it is their decision. They both drive for the team and I know that they will both do the best that they can in that situation, should it arise, for the team.

"Nobody has a crystal ball and nobody can predict what will happen in a week's time. Both drivers go into the race weekend with a genuine chance of taking the World title."

As for the team, Horner insisted that despite claims from Webber that Red Bull favour his team-mate, "we will back both drivers equally and both drivers drive for the team.

"They will do whatever is right I am sure, at the end of the day, for the team. I have zero doubt about that. Had that situation occurred today, if Fernando had been ahead, then of course Sebastian would have done what was right for the team.

"But that was not the situation. Both drivers have taken valuable points off Fernando and both go into Abu Dhabi eight points and 15 respectively behind - which in today's scoring we have seen can change quite quickly."

Source: Planet-F1

Vettel suspected secret team orders during Monza race

Sebastian Vettel briefly suspected he was the victim of clandestine team orders during the recent Italian Grand Prix.

According to a report in the British newspaper The Telegraph, the German's instinctive suspicions were raised at Monza when he sensed a problem with his RB6 whilst running ahead of his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber.

Australian Webber is leading the drivers' world champion, but publicly the Austrian team insists he is not now being favoured over his younger teammate.

The media report revealed that Vettel, 23, screamed "Are you ------- with me guys?" over the radio when he noticed a temporary problem - which ultimately turned out to be a brake issue - that allowed Webber to pass him.

"I am emotional," he is quoted as explaining in Singapore.

"At that moment you are fighting on the limit and I thought that maybe ... but I think everything I have done I can be totally honest and straight.

"At the time I believed it was the right decision. I have no regrets," said Vettel.

Some commentators believe the difference between highly rated Vettel and the experienced Webber this year is their contrasting abilities to cope with pressure.

"Do I believe the pressure has got to me? No," Vettel said rhetorically.

"Do I believe the criticism is right? That I am a pole kid who can't win races? No. Why? Because I know the reasons why I haven't performed.

"How many mistakes have I made this year? Probably two. And if I make a mistake you can be sure I am harder on myself than anyone else," he added.

Source: Motorsport

Ecclestone insists teams should 'get on with it'

F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has joined the group of people suggesting than the regulation banning team orders in the sport should be removed.

Eddie Jordan and Martin Brundle have both suggested that the change should be made after the incident involving Ferrari at the German Grand Prix, where Fernando Alonso was allowed to pass Felipe Massa for the lead.

The way in which the team went about swapping its drivers round in the race has led to much criticism in both the press and the paddock but Ecclestone said he felt it was up to individual teams to make the decision on how the approach racing.

“I must confess I would agree with anyone who thinks that,” he told the Daily Mail when asked if the law on team orders should be reviewed. “We make people call it a team. We say it's got to be a team. Both cars have to be exactly the same. The drivers wear the same overalls. Everybody has to look like a team - a team of people who are racing.

“I believe what people do when they are inside the team and how they run their team is up to them. Of course, if a team does something that's dangerous then they're going to be in trouble. Otherwise, get on with it.”

Source: Crash