Räikkönen: “If you want me to let him pass, just tell me”
Before making a mistake, Vettel, then in second position, made it clear to his team that it was necessary to give an order to Räikkönen. A look back at Scuderia Ferrari's team strategy!
Valtteri Bottas is not the only driver who had to step aside for his teammate on the Hockenheim circuit. Indeed, Kimi Räikkönen also fell victim to team strategy.
Back to the race situation:
It is on lap 34 that everything begins. Annoyed by losing time behind his teammate, Sebastian Vettel sends this message over the radio: “This is just silly… I’m losing time, destroying my tyres.” The German is then on soft tires, with fresher rubber than his teammate at this point in the Grand Prix. Räikkönen had indeed stopped on the 14th lap to put on his set of tires… meaning eleven laps earlier than Vettel. Räikkönen’s tires at this moment showed significant signs of blistering.
The message has been relayed to the team: Vettel wants to pass Räikkönen. The Prancing Horse brand turns a deaf ear until the 37th lap where its four-time world champion pushes harder: he is easily capable of going faster than his teammate. Reluctant to issue the team order, the team seeks from Vettel the necessary justifications for this decision. The directive is given on the 39th lap, somewhat unclearly at first.
The scene even led Räikkönen to ask engineer Jock Clear for clarification. « If you want me to let him pass, just tell me… » Right after confirming what is actually a disguised order, Räikkönen complies, and Ferrari #5 takes the lead. The strategy seems to be paying off. However, it will not allow Vettel to climb to the top step of the podium, as his leader falls victim to an accident on lap 52.
The post-race reaction from Räikkönen:
It’s indeed disappointment that primarily emerges in the voice of the Finn at David Coulthard’s microphone at the finish line. When the latter questions the 38-year-old driver about the race instructions, he simply states stoically, as usual: « we have certain rules, but for me, it wasn’t clear. »
In any case, Vettel has changed a lot in a few months. The one who refused team orders in 2017 during his title battle with Hamilton has this time urged his team to ask Räikkönen to step aside for his benefit. Could it have been otherwise? The practice has also affected Mercedes, which locked positions during the post-Safety Car restart, even though Bottas could easily have overtaken Hamilton. In this incredibly tight season, every point will count. The quest for the world drivers’ title comes at this price.
