Team orders at Williams-BMW?

[BSchneiderFan]

Well, now that Montoya has pulled out a significant gap over Ralfie and looks like Big Schuey's principal challenger, will Williams dabble in the black arts of team orders? Sir Frank and Patrick still smart over 1986.

[paulzinho]

I think they'll let them race for now, the only time i can see them using orders is if it comes down to Suzuka and one has to move over for Williams to take the title.

Frank and Patrick are racing fans after all..... I hope.

[Lee Janotta]

I think they'll institute some form of team orders now. They're racing fans, but they're not stupid.

[DNQ]

Well, maybe not team orders, but JPM will clearly and most definantly take preference amongst the team for the remainder of the season, and they'll be telling Ralf to keep behind him etc etc, but I'm not sure if they'll revert to 'moving over' tactics.

[bosch!]

But will Ralphie listen?

[Adam43]

Well before this race Williams was adamant that they would be allowed to race. I see no change in philosophy until it is impossible for one of them to win the title.

[BootsOntheSide]

I doubt they'll ask Ralf to move over, throw his car off the road, or run into title rivals. That's not the Williams way, and I think Frank and Patrick prefer to ahve lost 1986 than to ahve won it in that way.

However, Montoya has been on stronger form recently where Ralf has made mistakes and had lacklustre days. if this continues at Hungary (not typically a good track for Montoya) then the development focus wil go into getting the car how Montoya likes it,a nd giving him first call on strategies, pit stop timings etc.

If any of you Ferrari fans are aghast of this prospect, I think you'd ebtter take a look at the red team.

[Mark Webber]

I still think its early for team orders

[neilap]

It may be early for team orders. However, the team should seriously look at which racer is better equipped to take the fight to MS.

[f1manoz]

Remember people, team order are not allowed!

Ralf is out of it. JPM is Williams man.

[JohnSSC]

Support-wise it would seem to make sense for the Team to focus more on Montoya. I doubt if there will be any orders once the race actually starts other than a polite request not to take each other out!

[jetsetter]

The big argument about this is the rumour connecting JPM with McLaren & if the rumour is true would Frank Williams be willing to hand the number one over to McLaren so easy.

[Adam43]

Well Williams let no.1 go for 1993, 1994 and 1997. Not an issue, anyway, it is very unlikely that JPM will be at McLaren next year.

[Bononi]

I don't believe there will be team orders at Williams, specially because the drivers love each other !

[garcon]

Think forward 3 weeks - just imagine if JPM drops out (which he generally does at Hungary) and Ralf (somehow!) wins - it's all back on then.

Frank has a certain purity of thought when it comes to racing and team orders. As he said minutes before the race, his team orders were "race!". As he said, if they're clear in first and second late on then he'd ask them to cool it, but until then the order is "race!".

I think the only chance of any kind of orders coming into play is if one driver can help the other win the WDC at the final race.

And I'm sure that any rumours concerning JPM and a move outwards will be irrelevant to Frank until after the racing stops. If JPM wants to go, he'll quite possibly offload him as quickly as he can (Frank's never been afraid to do that). But while he's a Williams driver, results is all that matters - particularly as Williams have a decent shot at the Manufacturers' Title.

[Bononi]

Originally posted by garcon
Think forward 3 weeks - just imagine if JPM drops out (which he generally does at Hungary) and Ralf (somehow!) wins - it's all back on then.

That could be ! JPM doesn't like that track.

[pole2pole]

I think there will be some sort of team orderes come in to effect. Ok we all know that Sir Frank is a big fan of racing and may the best man win set up, but iam sure he will be thinking along with BMW about winning both championships and having his 2 cars start next season as number 1 and 2.

[Adam43]

Despite all evidence to the contrary?

They will race until only one of them can win.

[Bononi]

Agreed. Williams has a long story of letting the #1 go away, more than any other team.

[jpm]

I don´t think they´re in need of team orders. They let them drive until Suzuka, then Ralf or Monty will support the one with the better chances to win the WDC without any official order. This is what a professional is expected to do.

[Bononi]

Yes, but they don't seen to have any will to be supportive to each other up to now...

[KC]

I think the only team orders will be to continue finishing 1-2. Every time these guys finish one two they overtake the rest of the field in points and if it keeps up they will quickly surpass Ferrari in manufacturer points.

These two could get into a ****ing match at the end to see who will be champ and that could allow third to jump them from behind. That is what Sir Frank and Pat Head will be looking to keep from happening.

[Smokey 6 litre]

team orders...i thought that was what Ralf was doing, he missed his brother though.

[Maxmil]

At the end of the day, Frank Williams will want to secure the Constructor's Championship, and is unlikely to want his drivers to do anything that will not further that goal. Once that is done, I think he will let continue to them race until he has a clear winner for the Driver's Championship at which point it's academic isn't it?

[Glen]

All Williams need to do is be less than super-determined in their appeal against Ralf's penalty... one more race win vs a third or fourth from Ralf will be enough for Montoya to be the natural challenger for WDC and the problem will go away.