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Ferrari calls team orders at start "dangerous and crazy"

14:01, 15 Sep 2018

byNicolás Quarles van Ufford

Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene has called it "dangerous and crazy" to have team orders at the start of a race, despite his drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen impeding each other on multiple occasions without orders.

Arrivabene wasn't in a good mood when asked about what happened at the start of the Italian Grand Prix. Raikkonen, who was 68 points behind Vettel at the start of the Italian Grand Prix, took pole, and closed off a Vettel attack at the first turn of the race. This led to Vettel later getting attacked by Lewis Hamilton, and the German ran into the Brit, breaking his wing and ruining his chance of winning.

"I want to be clear - once, forever," Arrivabene said at the press conference in Singapore.

"Who is so crazy to give a team order to a driver at the start of the race?"

Last season, at Singapore, both Ferrari's crashed as well, as Raikkonen clipped Verstappen at the start and hit Vettel in the process, eliminating both red cars in the very first lap. Much like in Monza, Hamilton eventually walked away with the win.

"We do everything with the maximum professional effort," he continued.

"Before the race, we look at the video of the start [of previous Grands Prix at that track].

"Our team manager gives instructions to the drivers about the best line to follow.

"The only instruction you can give to the drivers for the first corner is, 'Guys, I would like to have both of the cars OK.'

"All the rest is nonsense and I'll explain the reason to you. Kimi, in the case of Monza, was in pole position.

"Sebastian was eight metres from him - How do you think Kimi can look where Sebastian is?

"So in your opinion, the order is, 'Kimi, please, slow down when you start and don't worry if Hamilton and all the others are overtaking you.'

"What are we discussing?

"Don't expect me to give team orders to the drivers at the start of the race, looking forward to the first corner.

"It's too dangerous and it's crazy."

Safe to say Arrivabene wasn't happy with that question, then. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife afterwards, but at least, we know where the Ferrari boss's head is at now.