Vettel would be happy to see team orders banned in F1

The topic of team orders has been a talking point in the F1 paddock in Mexico City given the tight title battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, and the role their respective teammates might play in the final five races of the season.

Home favourite Sergio Perez said he’s sure he will have “full support” from Red Bull, although he dodged questions about whether he will be allowed to win at Verstappen’s expense, while Valtteri Bottas has vowed to help his teammate “in a reasonable way”.

Famously, Vettel ignored team orders during his stint with Red Bull, overtaking teammate Mark Webber to win at Malaysia in 2013.

Team orders were unbanned in F1 for 2011 after Ferrari caused a stir for using them illegally at the 2010 German Grand Prix when it ordered Felipe Massa to move out of the way for Fernando Alonso.

When asked about the team order situation at his former team, Vettel said: “Well I am not a fan of team orders. There are two different team orders. There’s the team order where you give way and get it back the same way, if you’re on different strategies and there’s obviously the team order where clearly one has to go get out of the way to make the other one score more points.

“Now, even if maybe the situation is logically very easy to explain, I still think it’s bad and I would be in favour of having of not having any team orders ever. I think it’s just dull, nobody likes it.

“If Checo happens to be ahead then Checo should stay ahead and if he’s not ahead then he has to be overtaken by whoever whether that’s a Mercedes or Red Bull but I also can see if that doesn’t happen, he will have to let Max by, whatever. Valtteri has been in that position, so… it’s not nice.”

McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo was asked if in Perez’s position, whether he’d surrender an F1 victory in front of his home crowd.

He replied: “Right now my answer is no, no I would not. Look, if it was the last race of the season in that position swap literally meant the world or not, then that is a more complex decision-making process.

“But a home win is something that you dream of as a kid, and if it is something you have earned on track, then it should be yours for the taking.”