0:08 - Team Orders Still Possible at Ferrari 1:31 - “Hats Off to Mercedes”
2:42 - Fast Feed
Team Orders Still Possible at Ferrari
Ferrari will be observed closely by the F1 world to see if they will use team orders to ensure that no repeat of last year's issues take place.
Recent reports had suggested, to the surprise of many, that Vettel and Leclerc would be free to race each other in 2020.
The team's principal Mattia Binotto has revealed that team orders aren't completely off the table and will be used if the need arises.
"I am not saying they are free to race without team orders. So there may be team orders that benefit the team, but it must be a clear situation."
“I think they now know each other a lot better. I think Charles drove a fantastic season last year and achieved the same beauty as Sebastian. It is therefore correct to have them start 2020 on an equal footing, but they both know that the team has priority and therefore team orders are still possible."
He also revealed that they will talk to the FIA to get a clearer picture of the DAS system before pursuing a design of their own.
"We are not discussing with the FIA yet, but we will do for clarification."
Many feel that Ferrari has the financial clout to design its own DAS system and Binotto shed some light on the timeframe that would be involved if they got the all clear from the FIA.
"It will certainly be longer than the first Grand Prix in Melbourne. It is a first-concept design, production, homologation, it has to be safe. If it is to be made it can't be before mid-season."
“Hats Off to Mercedes”
Many see Mercedes' DAS system as the most radical innovation since the double diffusers of the not too distant past.
Its legality has been the cause of a lot of debate and now many are questioning the logic behind the pursuit of this innovation if it had the possibility of being banned.
The team's driver Valtteri Bottas has defended the decision to put the necessary resources behind this system as its legality was never in doubt for the team.
“When a team brings something new, there’s always going to talk about whether it’s legal or not.”
"I don’t think that our team would start designing something that they think could get banned, so I think we’re pretty comfortable with that – that it’s within the rules and for sure, for the other teams it is something to think about."
He further elaborated that it is the rivals of Mercedes who would be more concerned about the DAS system.
“I’m sure they’re all evaluating if it’s worth investing that amount of time and effort to try and make it for this year or not.”
"Like I said, for us, it was a pretty big project and it would be a difficult thing to just pop in. So, I hope we can have an edge with that. How big the edge can be with that is a complete question mark.”
The system did receive some praise from McLaren's team principal Andrew Seidl
“Hats off to Mercedes for this kind of innovation, which is great to see in Formula 1. Hats off also for all the publicity they created for Mercedes by that."
Fast Feed
- Williams driver Nicholas Latifi has said that “there are definitely some positive signs" but "not all the problems are solved" with their 2020 car
- William’s other driver George Russell backed up this sentiment and feels that “there's no way” the team will “be as far off the pace” as they “were last year"
- He also praised Latifi as someone who is "very under-rated” and feels that “he's going to be a tough driver to beat”
- Renault's sporting director Alan Permane has divulged that Mercedes’ DAS system left him “a little bit wide-eyed”
- Alpha Tauri’s team principal Franz Tost believes that the team is “going in the right direction”
- Former Force India (now Racing Point) owner Vijay Mallya feels that " podiums are for real this year and with a bit of luck race wins as well" for his old team
- Former F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg has warned the grid to not "rule out” Sebastian Vettel
- Sebastian Vettel has downplayed the possible impact of the DAS system and doesn’t think that it "is the ticket to win”
- Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is okay with Racing Point copying Mercedes’ 2019 challenger as such an approach results in “a more competitive field” while making “the sport a lot more affordable”
- Renault’s engine boss Remi Taffin has revealed that “there will not be many evolutions” of their 2020 engine as they “want to be focused on the 2021 power unit"
- Former F1 champion Nico Rosberg is surprised that Robert Kubica “couldn't get closer to Russell" and feels that the “influence of the eight-year break” ended up being greater that he thought
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