"Team orders may still be there" at Ferrari in 2020!

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says that the team are still likely to implement team orders in some situations, despite saying that driver duo Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc are free to race each other. The Italian team had difficulties with team orders last season, often making strange choices to let the pair fight or not.

There was no shortage of drama between Vettel and Leclerc, with team orders at the heart of it. In Brazil they collided and were both forced out of the race whilst being allowed to attack each other.

Ferrari have a long history of team orders, with one of the most famous being the time Felipe Massa was akead to move over for Fernando Alonso at the 2010 German Grand Prix after the well known 'Fernando is faster than you' radio message.

According to motorsport.com, Binotto said that Leclerc had made massive improvements and deserves to be on a level playing field with Vettel: “I think that he has already proved to be ready. I think he did a fantastic, a great season last year. He was on the same level as Sebastian at the end of last year as well, in terms of final results. I think he has proved that he can do it.

“So I think it's right that they are on the same level to start the 2020 season. I think they know as well that the team has the first priority. So team orders may still be there.

“I'm not saying that there will be no team orders. So they may be team orders to the benefit of the entire team in case. But it has to be a clear situation.”