‘Ferrari criticised for team orders, criticised for racing’

Mattia Binotto feels Ferrari just can’t win with the pundits: criticised when they use team orders and criticised when they allow their drivers the freedom to race.

Ferrari were liberal with their use of team orders in the opening half of this championship, often issued in Sebastian Vettel’s favour.

The Scuderia were slammed by pundits and fans with former F1 driver Martin Brundle saying they risked harming Charles Leclerc’s “credibility”.

Fast forward to the penultimate race of the season and Ferrari have wrapped up second place in the Constructors’ standings, which led to Binotto giving his drivers permission to race one another with third in the Drivers’ standings up for grabs.

That didn’t work at all well in Brazil with Vettel and Leclerc colliding, both cars suffering race-ending damage.

Ferrari were again criticised by the pundits.

“When we tried to manage the drivers this season we have been criticised [for] doing it,” he told RaceFans.net. “And when they are free to fight we may be criticised because of ‘free to fight’.

“I think there is always a reason for what we are deciding to do and it was right to let them race, certainly, because we [already] secured the second place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Binotto is set to sit down with his drivers to discuss Sunday’s collision and put down rules for the future.

“When you’ve got a crash, something was wrong. No doubt.

“But when you’re free to fight, you’re free to fight and that’s a driving matter: how much you can take as a risk.

“Certainly here the risk was not necessary.”

Follow us on Twitter @Planet_F1 and like our Facebook page.