Few would have thought the spectre of team orders would loom over the new Formula One season so soon. Yes, Ferrari had been honest in saying they would favour Sebastian Vettel over his teammate Charles Leclerc in 50-50 situations but after three races where they have employed team orders in every one, it seems the Scuderia have been taken aback that Leclerc’s performances have forced them into dictating to their drivers quite so soon. Managing them on track is one issue the Scuderia must handle but as they head to Baku for this week’s race, they must now also be considering whether the 21-year-old might be the better bet.
Leclerc is in only his second season in F1 and his first for Ferrari. Vettel is a four-times champion in his 13th season. Much as team orders are unwanted by fans and certainly do no favours for the public perception of the sport, they are perfectly legal and team principal Mattia Binotto’s pre-season decision to favour Vettel appeared sensible. Vettel has the experience and would have been expected to have the edge on his younger teammate.
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