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[darwin dali]

Well put, It's all just a part of "Race Strategy" and shouldn't even be a rule.

In the case of the Austria incident, it very much should be a rule.

It should never be a rule it's absurd and unrealistic.

I'm sorry, but when both drivers have a good chance of winning the championship, it's ridiculous and completely unfair to choose one over the other, which is exactly what Ferrari did. When they lured Barrichello, they'd already decided that if they were to take the championship in 2000, it would be Schumacher and not Barrichello who would win it for them. Same with the next year, and the next, and the next (and the next if they hadn't been so uncompetitive). That is where team orders are unacceptable. I have no quarrel with it when it really is the only realistic option, but the Schumacher/Barrichello (and Schumacher/Irvine) situations were not so. It was already decided before any of the seasons at hand got under way.

Well, MS was heads above RB in racing skill, etc. So, one could make the argument that bar any unforeseeable major hiccup, RB never stood a chance to win the championship on merit from the beginning of the season, so focusing on MS as the No. 1 driver from the get go was the right thing to do and should not be ruled against. It's a team sport or else have individual drivers in one-man (or woman) teams!

[McLaren Fan]

Well, MS was heads above RB in racing skill, etc. So, one could make the argument that bar any unforeseeable major hiccup, RB never stood a chance to win the championship on merit from the beginning of the season, so focusing on MS as the No. 1 driver from the get go was the right thing to do and should not be ruled against. It's a team sport or else have individual drivers in one-man (or woman) teams!

I'm not sure I agree. I think Barrichello was pretty competitive and could have given Schumacher a run for his money, if he were allowed to. However, there are other factors to consider. It was not just that Schumacher who was appointed number one driver, the whole team was geared around him and the cars were designed specifically to suit Schumacher's style of driving. Very few people could have driven those Ferraris as quickly as Schumacher could.

[stonemonkey]

Well, MS was heads above RB in racing skill, etc. So, one could make the argument that bar any unforeseeable major hiccup, RB never stood a chance to win the championship on merit from the beginning of the season, so focusing on MS as the No. 1 driver from the get go was the right thing to do and should not be ruled against. It's a team sport or else have individual drivers in one-man (or woman) teams!

I'm not sure I agree. I think Barrichello was pretty competitive and could have given Schumacher a run for his money, if he were allowed to. However, there are other factors to consider. It was not just that Schumacher who was appointed number one driver, the whole team was geared around him and the cars were designed specifically to suit Schumacher's style of driving. Very few people could have driven those Ferraris as quickly as Schumacher could.

I have a vague recollection of a time after a practice session that Schumacher decided he'd have Barrichellos car.

[darwin dali]

Well, MS was heads above RB in racing skill, etc. So, one could make the argument that bar any unforeseeable major hiccup, RB never stood a chance to win the championship on merit from the beginning of the season, so focusing on MS as the No. 1 driver from the get go was the right thing to do and should not be ruled against. It's a team sport or else have individual drivers in one-man (or woman) teams!

I'm not sure I agree. I think Barrichello was pretty competitive and could have given Schumacher a run for his money, if he were allowed to. However, there are other factors to consider. It was not just that Schumacher who was appointed number one driver, the whole team was geared around him and the cars were designed specifically to suit Schumacher's style of driving. Very few people could have driven those Ferraris as quickly as Schumacher could.

That too - doesn't change the fact that RB had virtually nil chance to win the championship.

[darwin dali]

Well, MS was heads above RB in racing skill, etc. So, one could make the argument that bar any unforeseeable major hiccup, RB never stood a chance to win the championship on merit from the beginning of the season, so focusing on MS as the No. 1 driver from the get go was the right thing to do and should not be ruled against. It's a team sport or else have individual drivers in one-man (or woman) teams!

I'm not sure I agree. I think Barrichello was pretty competitive and could have given Schumacher a run for his money, if he were allowed to. However, there are other factors to consider. It was not just that Schumacher who was appointed number one driver, the whole team was geared around him and the cars were designed specifically to suit Schumacher's style of driving. Very few people could have driven those Ferraris as quickly as Schumacher could.

I have a vague recollection of a time after a practice session that Schumacher decided he'd have Barrichellos car.

I think it was just the settings MS wanted from RB because they were better - nothing wrong with that in a TEAM! (even IF it was the actual car he wanted).

[Rivelution]

Well, MS was heads above RB in racing skill, etc. So, one could make the argument that bar any unforeseeable major hiccup, RB never stood a chance to win the championship on merit from the beginning of the season, so focusing on MS as the No. 1 driver from the get go was the right thing to do and should not be ruled against. It's a team sport or else have individual drivers in one-man (or woman) teams!

I'm not sure I agree. I think Barrichello was pretty competitive and could have given Schumacher a run for his money, if he were allowed to. However, there are other factors to consider. It was not just that Schumacher who was appointed number one driver, the whole team was geared around him and the cars were designed specifically to suit Schumacher's style of driving. Very few people could have driven those Ferraris as quickly as Schumacher could.

[racechick]

Well, MS was heads above RB in racing skill, etc. So, one could make the argument that bar any unforeseeable major hiccup, RB never stood a chance to win the championship on merit from the beginning of the season, so focusing on MS as the No. 1 driver from the get go was the right thing to do and should not be ruled against. It's a team sport or else have individual drivers in one-man (or woman) teams!

I'm not sure I agree. I think Barrichello was pretty competitive and could have given Schumacher a run for his money, if he were allowed to. However, there are other factors to consider. It was not just that Schumacher who was appointed number one driver, the whole team was geared around him and the cars were designed specifically to suit Schumacher's style of driving. Very few people could have driven those Ferraris as quickly as Schumacher could.

[McLaren Fan]

Well, MS was heads above RB in racing skill, etc. So, one could make the argument that bar any unforeseeable major hiccup, RB never stood a chance to win the championship on merit from the beginning of the season, so focusing on MS as the No. 1 driver from the get go was the right thing to do and should not be ruled against. It's a team sport or else have individual drivers in one-man (or woman) teams!

I'm not sure I agree. I think Barrichello was pretty competitive and could have given Schumacher a run for his money, if he were allowed to. However, there are other factors to consider. It was not just that Schumacher who was appointed number one driver, the whole team was geared around him and the cars were designed specifically to suit Schumacher's style of driving. Very few people could have driven those Ferraris as quickly as Schumacher could.

[Rivelution]

Well, MS was heads above RB in racing skill, etc. So, one could make the argument that bar any unforeseeable major hiccup, RB never stood a chance to win the championship on merit from the beginning of the season, so focusing on MS as the No. 1 driver from the get go was the right thing to do and should not be ruled against. It's a team sport or else have individual drivers in one-man (or woman) teams!

I'm not sure I agree. I think Barrichello was pretty competitive and could have given Schumacher a run for his money, if he were allowed to. However, there are other factors to consider. It was not just that Schumacher who was appointed number one driver, the whole team was geared around him and the cars were designed specifically to suit Schumacher's style of driving. Very few people could have driven those Ferraris as quickly as Schumacher could.

Sad, but true.

[AKR]

Same can be said about Lewis Hanilton and Kova's car.

[McLaren Fan]

[csrracer]

Same can be said about Lewis Hanilton and Kova's car.

Maybe, Or it could just be the fact that Hamilton is just that much faster. Don't forget Hamilton kicked Alonso's bottom last year in equal cars..... Not to mention that Alonso was reining world champion and Hamilton was a rookie.

[jsonf1]

There is nothing to discuss about the fact that Lewis gets a LOT more of the teams resources then Kovalainen. It´s sad to see that eversince the championship started this year, Heikki has always been the one doing the Race strategy tests while Lewis can focus on building up his setup. It was exactly the same with RB and MS
I do understand that this whole Mclaren Lewis thing is very important since we are talking about a Brit but why have 2 guys out there "fighting for the title" even if only 1 of them has a chance for it........very sad indeed and I think Heikki would have gotten a lot more out of Renault........But he couldn´t know this back then.......

[racechick]

There is nothing to discuss about the fact that Lewis gets a LOT more of the teams resources then Kovalainen. It´s sad to see that eversince the championship started this year, Heikki has always been the one doing the Race strategy tests while Lewis can focus on building up his setup. It was exactly the same with RB and MS
I do understand that this whole Mclaren Lewis thing is very important since we are talking about a Brit but why have 2 guys out there "fighting for the title" even if only 1 of them has a chance for it........very sad indeed and I think Heikki would have gotten a lot more out of Renault........But he couldn´t know this back then.......

[Gaz]

There is nothing to discuss about the fact that Lewis gets a LOT more of the teams resources then Kovalainen. It´s sad to see that eversince the championship started this year, Heikki has always been the one doing the Race strategy tests while Lewis can focus on building up his setup. It was exactly the same with RB and MS
I do understand that this whole Mclaren Lewis thing is very important since we are talking about a Brit but why have 2 guys out there "fighting for the title" even if only 1 of them has a chance for it........very sad indeed and I think Heikki would have gotten a lot more out of Renault........But he couldn´t know this back then.......

Your gonna have to support some evidence to support that.

i remember seeing Hekki do more testing laps at Monza before Spa why would they do that if he was a 2nd driver?