Gerhard Berger, a senior Ferrari racer, has discussed the prospect for team orders at the Scuderia as the 2022 Formula One season progresses.
While Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are still mathematically in contention for the 2022 Formula One championship, Gerhard Berger expects Ferrari will refrain from utilising team instructions.
At the halfway point of the season, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen leads the rankings by 38 points over Leclerc, with Sainz trailing by 37 points.
Previous time out at the Austrian Grand Prix, Sainz’s prospects took a significant knock as the Spaniard was forced to withdraw late due to engine issues.
Berger, who spent two stints with Ferrari in the 1980s and 1990s, hopes his old club chooses to resist early intra-team instructions despite requests for them to support Leclerc as the season progresses.
Berger’s perspective on Ferrari’s team orders
In an interview with F1 Nation, Berger stated: “We are in a sport, and I think in a sport, it shouldn’t be played as long as both drivers have the potential to win the title – that’s my personal viewpoint.
“[Frank] Williams was maybe the leader of everything. He didn’t care [who won]. [Nigel] Mansell, [Nelson] Piquet, whoever it was… maybe in the last race [there would be orders], but not before.
“Now [people] are shouting to Ferrari, saying, ‘They don’t know what they’re doing’. But they maybe learned when [Rubens] Barrichello had to let Michael Schumacher pass at the Red Bull Ring (previously the A1-Ring).
“Maybe they learned after [that] and said, ‘Well, we would like to have the sport in focus’. If so, I’d like [that] very much.”
Berger is excited that Ferrari is “back in the game”
Putting potential team instructions aside, Berger is enjoying Ferrari’s and Red Bull’s return to the front of the F1 field and is hoping Mercedes will soon make it a three-team race.
“I think I see it first as great for F1 – we need this,” he commented.
“We need it even better. We would need even another two brands [fighting at the front].
“But after all the years [of domination] with Schumacher, all the years with Lewis Hamilton, we are really happy to see two different brands fighting each other in the last two years.
“I think to have Ferrari back in the game is fantastic. It would be even nicer if Mercedes would be somewhere [in the mix].
“But we are seeing good races, and we are seeing very good racing already. I think F1 is back as the fans deserve to have it.”
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