Former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt has suggested Valtteri Bottas is “more disciplined” as a number two or ‘wingman’ to Lewis Hamilton than Rubens Barrichello was to Michael Schumacher.
After Mercedes used team orders to usher Hamilton ahead of his Finnish teammate last Sunday in Russia, the obvious comparisons were made between that and similar situations at Ferrari over the years, whether it be with Barrichello or Felipe Massa.
Todt, who is now the FIA president, was at the helm during the first of those periods and contrasted what happened in Sochi to perhaps the most famous example of a number two giving up a win for his teammate.
“I saw what happened and it was an honest and justified decision, the difference is that Bottas was more disciplined than Barrichello was in Austria in 2001,” the Frenchman told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.
What he was referring to was how the Finn instantly reacted to the instruction to let Lewis by at Turn 13 on Lap 25 whereas Rubens waited until just before the finish line at what was then the A1-Ring 16 years ago.
As for the debate it has spurred since…
“All of this talk is absolutely meaningless because team tactics are part of Formula 1,” Todt continued. “The only important thing is that it is not hidden from those who watch.
“It was always unpleasant for me to use tactics, but I always tried to handle those episodes with honesty.”
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The man Bottas replaced, Nico Rosberg, has sent a warning to the 29-year-old, however, after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff indicated Valtteri would comply with a similar order again in the future.
“It’s really bad if you are labelled the number two driver. Your self-confidence goes and it’s hard to deal with mentally,” he told Germany’s Sport1.
“I hope for Valtteri that he comes out with some really good performances in the last races.”