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The article is based on a bigger in article in the Sunday Times.
In it Patrick goes on a great length about how it is Williams fault that Ferrari are better than them. He also points out that the recent DSQ in Canada are very stupid errors and only the team is to blame. There is not shunning of blame or trying to hide behind something else.
Then there is the question of how you run your team, especially in respect of team orders. Williams and Ferrari do run their teams differently. There is a lot of overlap with how they do it, but there are also differences. It is as incorrect to suggest only Ferrari have driver orders as it is to suggest that Williams have the same orders as Ferrari. A lot of orders, be careful, save your engine etc... are the same for Williams as they are for Ferrari. However there have been and will be again times when Ferrari do something that Williams wouldn't. This I feel is undisputable. As such Patrick can comment on what he thinks a team should do. He can't tell Ferrari what to do, but he can comment on it. It is the same as how Ferrari are allowed to say that they are there to maximise the chances of winning. They are allowed to say that too.
I defend Ferrari for what they do - its their choice and their team. I also defend Williams for running their team how they want - even if it comprimises their chances.
FWIW (nothing) I prefer the Williams method.
Patrick brings up the point that he thinks that extreme team orders are bad for F1. This is almost a different situation IMHO. Firstly we have whether team orders are jsutifiable. Then we have are they good for the sport. Which is very difficult to sort out. He says he thinks fans prefer it if teams have a situation more like Williams and McLaren. He might be right. Maybe the problem is education, I don't know.
However I find (and I'm sure Ferrari do too) it annoying that all questions to Brawn or Todt before the race are about what they will allow Rubens to do. Now, to a certain extent, they have brought this upon themselves. However it is ridiculous to ask before the event. If they do order something it should be understood after the event and as I say Ferrari can do what they want.
However, back to the other point, Williams would do some things differently (their choice) and Patrick is not using it as an excuse for other, separate, failings.
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