Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt has hinted that Renault drivers can
expect more robust defensive tactics in the final two races of the season.
Todt brought into question the tactics employed by Renault's drivers
Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella during the Chinese Grand Prix,
after the pair traded places and ran two abreast down the back straight for
four laps while the world champion struggled with a tyre imbalance.
The Renault drivers's manoeuvres , in the middle phase of the grand prix
when race leader Fernando Alonso was severely struggling for grip, gave
Michael Schumacher no opportunity to pass the struggling Spaniard, while
Fisichella appeared to have the pace to overtake his team-mate at the
first attempt.
Although Todt didn’t go as far to say his team would operate such tactics
with its two drivers if the opportunity arose, he says the Italian squad is
now clear that such defensive driving is allowed.
“It has been a good learning for us,” he said.
“We have learned what you can do. :evil:
“We learn what we can do inside and we learn from what the others do so
it's always interesting.
Although blatant team orders are banned, with Schumacher and Alonso
level on points and Ferrari just a point behind Renault in the championship
battles, team play is likely to increase in Japan and Brazil.
But Todt would not be drawn on what he felt Renault’s Chinese tactics
constituted.
“It's up to you to judge, if they were usual or unusual,” he said.
“We have just taken that into consideration.”
Things are gonna get interesting LOL