Ross Brawn has sought to placate a clearly sore Rubens Barrichello by insisting no team orders came into play during the Spanish Grand Prix.
Barrichello was far from happy at the end of yesterday's race after having to settle for second behind Brawn GP team-mate Jenson Button who clinched his fourth win in five grands prix this season.
The Brazilian felt he should have won after superbly passing pole-sitter Button from third on the grid on the run down to the first corner at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.
With both drivers on a three-stop strategy, and with Barrichello on a slightly heavier fuel load, the 36-year-old felt the win was his for the taking at that stage.
However, Barrichello was surprised to hear Brawn switched Button to a two-stopper just a lap prior to his first visit to the pits, and it proved decisive.
Barrichello is no stranger to team orders having been subjected to them at Ferrari when Michael Schumacher ruled the roost, and Brawn was again the tactical driving force.
After announcing he would quit should he "get a whiff of team orders", Brawn is adamant there was no such call.
Asked whether team orders had perhaps crossed Barrichello's mind, he replied: "I hope not because we're not (doing that).
"I think you saw at the first corner there are no team orders as Rubens made a great start to get past Jenson.
"I'd love to see Rubens win a race and his crew win a race because it would be great for the team.
"But there's no priority being given."
It is the first bumpy patch for Brawn on what has so far been a very smooth ride throughout a dominant start to the season.
Button's win leaves him 14 points clear of Barrichello whose body language post-race spoke volumes as to his thoughts.
But then the likeable south American has never been slow in coming forward as he said: "I'm very experienced and...I won't follow any team orders any more. I'm making it clear now so everybody knows."
The real reason for Barrichello's demise was his third set of soft tyres after his second stop which lacked the pace of the first two.
As Brawn pointed out, if they had been up to speed then it would have been too close to call as to who would have taken the flag.
Button said: "We're all here to win. It went my way today and it may go his (Barrichello's) way in Monaco. That's the way it is."
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