w0rd

Just finished watching WRC Jordan and it was kind of ridiculous watching all the strategies involving team orders, especially since we only get 30 mins of coverage per day. Kind of a waste to hear all the coverage about it, instead of actual racing.

Now I see why they are banned in F1.

For anyone that didn't see or care to see WRC Jordan, people were stopping on course for up to 45 secs, just so they could get a better starting position for themselves or their teammates. Then the next day people were purposefully getting penalties in the service area and also showing up to the race in the incorrect order, to move themselves forward or backward in the run orders. Some people racked up as much as 10 min penalties, effectively ending their chances of winning, just to help their teammates.

LDadrenaline

of course they don't make racing better. They never have, but they are a way for a team to help secure a championship and sponsorship dollars so they do it anyways.

FrodoGT

Sometimes they also do it so that they are not the first or one of the first cars to tackle a section, instead letting the other cars sweep the small rocks and loose dirt off the course.


I think its really stupid, but sometimes it does give them a strategic advantage for later stages.

w0rd

Yes, that's why they were doing it. They said that the person that sweeps the track is losing .3 per km. Which is huge since one of the sections was like 45km I think.

One of the team principals alluded that people are either for or against it. I am just wondering why people would be for it. I like watching a fair, close race.

philippe

I never liked team order in any serie, but I can understand it.
What I can't stand is when rally drivers slow down to a crawl (after pushing like mad for almost the entire stage!?) to "choose" their next day starting position.
I've tried to find a solution to this, have pace car(s) opening and "sweeping" the roads, random starting position, added time depending on your SP,... But the solution is much simpler! Completely inverse the starting order! Yeah, the "slower" cars will be in front, but they would have the team right behind them in the standing driving 2 minutes in front, not a problem. I even think it would make for more exciting finishes.
But I'm sure there must be a good reason why they do it this way!
And no matter the format, I still don't see who's going to dethrone Loeb!

Super6

Team orders dont make racing better when Rubbins baricelllo was on track to win the Austrian GP and the team ordered him to move over on the last lap and let Shumi win. Just heart braking. Plus the fack that Rubbins out paced Michel all weekend. Made it even worse. But team orderd's have always been apart of racing I think.

treekiller

Philippe,

I beleive rally Australia is the only one where they reverse run order. (or used to) since those stages where once called "racing on ball-bearings"

JL

S60R

I'm with the ya all on the whole team thing detracting from the racing.

chi town brat

I get it and I don't agree with it but I am amazed how the drivers will obey it and not be all - i don't know - pissy about it after.

I believe the same thing happen between Button and Hamilton last week in China although Hamilton did not have the tires to get past Button anyway. They needed Hamilton to save the car and not take a chance of crashing due to the left (I believe) tire being completely bald and it raining.

chi town brat

btw I half watched the WRC Jordan last night ... where did Kimi go after the first round? Really surprised not to see Block either as I thought this type of surface would be more his style.