De la Rosa: Renault Used Team Orders
McLaren's test driver Pedro de la Rosa has been critical of Renault after claiming the French squad imposed illegal team orders to benefit Fernando Alonso
During the Turkish Grand Prix, a member of the Renault team was heard on the radio as asking Alonso to pass teammate Giancarlo Fisichella for second place on the second lap of the race.
"Fernando, you're faster than Fisi. Overtake him," the Renault member said.
Fisichella, lapping slower than Alonso, let the Spaniard by, allowing him to stay in touch with leader Kimi Raikkonen.
But with team orders banned at the start of the 2003 season, de la Rosa believes Renault's move was illegal.
"What they told Alonso on the radio was a clear example of what is illegal," de la Rosa was quoted as saying by Spanish daily Marca. "That's 100 per cent team orders.
"The message was very clear: overtake him. What we couldn't hear was what they told Fisichella before that."
Alonso went on to finish in second place behind McLaren's Raikkonen, while Fisichella finished in fourth position.
The BAR-Honda team were involved in a similar situation when they asked Jenson Button to let teammate Takuma Sato through in order to allow the Japanese driver to take full advantage of his race strategy.
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