Team Orders

Team orders are instructions given by a racing team to its drivers that tell them how to race against their own teammates, often asking one driver to let another pass or to hold their position rather than racing freely.

In most racing situations, drivers compete against everyone on track to finish in the highest position possible. However, when two drivers work for the same team, their employer sometimes steps in with specific instructions that benefit the team's overall strategy rather than letting both drivers race each other naturally. These instructions are what we call team orders.

Teams use these orders for several strategic reasons. The most common situation occurs when one driver has a better chance of winning the championship than their teammate. The team might ask the second driver to move aside and let the championship contender through to score more points. This maximizes the team's chances of winning the drivers' title, even though it means one driver sacrifices their own result.

Another reason for implementing team orders is safety and resource management. When two teammates are running first and second, far ahead of competitors, the team might tell them to hold position rather than fight each other. This prevents the risk of both cars crashing into each other and losing valuable points, while also conserving fuel and reducing wear on the cars.

The communication of these orders usually happens over team radio during the race. Sometimes the instruction is direct: "Let your teammate pass." Other times, teams use coded language to be less obvious. A famous example came at the 2010 German Grand Prix when Ferrari told Felipe Massa that "Fernando is faster than you," which was understood as an instruction to let Fernando Alonso pass.

The 2002 Austrian Grand Prix created one of the biggest controversies around this practice. Ferrari ordered Rubens Barrichello to slow down on the final lap and let Michael Schumacher win, even though Barrichello had led the entire race. The obvious nature of this swap angered fans and led to the FIA banning team orders that influenced race results.

However, the ban proved difficult to enforce because teams found subtle ways to achieve the same results. In 2011, motorsport's governing body lifted the ban, acknowledging that team orders are simply part of racing strategy. Today, they're legal in Formula 1 and most other racing series, though teams must still avoid actions considered unsporting.

The debate around team orders continues among fans. Some argue they're a necessary business decision for teams investing millions of dollars in racing, while others believe they undermine the competitive spirit of motorsport. Regardless of opinion, team orders remain a regular feature of modern racing, particularly in championships where constructors employ multiple drivers working toward both individual and collective goals.