Jody Scheckter backs Ferrari team orders

Right decision
By FN
May 16 2002

Former Formula One champion Jody Scheckter has backed Ferrari's right to use team orders following criticism of the contrived result in the Austrian Grand Prix.

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Both drivers and the team have been summoned by the sport's governing body, the FIA, to explain why Schumacher broke protocol by handing the winner's trophy to Barrichello and ushering him to stand on the top step of the podium.

Scheckter, who won the world title for Ferrari in 1979, backed the use of team orders. He said: "Formula One is a team sport - the FIA even insist that each team's cars are painted in the same colours - and the most prestigious prize in the sport is the drivers' championship, which Ferrari are there to win and did not win for 20 years.”

"As Michael said in the press conference after the race, if he had an accident at the end of the season and they lost the championship by a couple of points, then people would have been asking why they hadn't used team orders earlier in the year. If the FIA want to introduce a new rule to stop team orders that is different, but it will be hard to police. Yes, I fell sorry for Rubens, but I am sure the same thing would have applied to Michael if Rubens had won most of the races so far."

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