The most beatable WDC: Hamilton vs Vettel

I think you're misremembering a bit. Ignoring team orders then getting away with it did happen in Malaysia, but it was Vettel doing it to Webber in the "Multi 21" debacle. Rosberg did get team orders in that race not to pass Hamilton (because of low fuel) and followed those orders. As far as I know, that's the only possible example of favouritism in that team and it's not as severe as happened with Seb in the same race!

Also, Raikkonen being so clearly slower is related to the favouritism. He was one of the worst drivers on the grid in 2014 and 2015. At Mercedes, he would have been fired and replaced with someone who could keep Lewis honest. Ferrari kept him on because they focus on one car, so there's no point in hiring a good second driver (as even a quick driver is still an afterthought as Leclerc is discovering)

 

I guess it's hard to 'prove' one way or the other as each of us will pick out isolated examples to make a point. I'd point to the recent example last season (I forget the race - Baku maybe?) where Hamilton actually gave the place back to Bottas after not being able to overtake a Ferrari. And there are many many examples of Merc letting Hamilton/Rosberg race - I won't go through and highlight the various incidents this led to, but will point out that Rosberg won the WDC, so really can't have been a firm #2 driver in the way that Raikkonen/LeClerc are. On *average*, across his time at Mercedes, I really think it's hard to say that Hamilton has been significantly favoured, and team orders are used sparingly.

By contrast, one only needs to look at how Ferrari have handled the opening races this season to show how firmly Seb is favourite, even when up against someone who might be quicker than him in a given race. They are very open about using team orders and Seb being their #1. I won't speak for his time at Red Bull because that all feels like a bit of a blur now...

For the record, I'm not criticising Ferrari/Vettel, or making any claims about which driver is better/worse. Simply arguing that I think the methodology being used is flawed - without accounting for how far each drive has been prioritised by their team and/or benefited from team orders, the raw numbers in the OP are far less meaningful in my opinion.

 

You've chosen the only time Hamilton obeyed an order, yet Webber, Ricciardo & Leclerc have all passed Seb after team-orders have been given to him to let them by. Raikonnen wasn't as fast as Seb apart from 2 or 3 races last season, and by that time it was obvious that it was Lewis v Seb for the WDC, and if Hamilton hadn't ceded the place back, would Bottas have let him through next time he was asked?
It seems to me that people can only recall the one time Lewis obeyed a team order and the one time Seb didn't, rather than the multiple times Hamilton didn't and Seb did. Personally I'm all for telling your boss to **** off, and don't blame Lewis for ignoring Toto or Vettel for ****ing over Webber that one time, especially as Webber always tried to ignore them.
As for this season, I totally agree Ferra-ha-ha-ri ****ed up making the announcement they'd back Vettel from race 1, they pissed off Leclerc and put pressure on Vettel to deliver, and havn't given him a car to challenege with. From my view you back your fastest driver when he's proven he is the fastet over the first half of the season when he's pulled a gap on his team-mate. Merc, on the other hand, can afford to let them race like they did for the first 3 years of hybrids, because no one is close.

What we need is Ron Dennis back, he really did let his drivers race each other, even if it cost the team titles and lost him drivers.

 

Without wanting to be facetious, isn't that exactly the point I was trying to make?

 

And the point I'm making is everyone conveniently forgets how many team-orders against him the alledged perpetual no 1 Seb has been given and obeyed, compared to the solitary time Lewis obeyed one.

 

Hmm. Not sure where this is going but in terms of disobeying team orders, my book has Vettel ahead of Hamilton…

 

I can remember Hamilton obeyng one, last year in Hungary, and ignoring all the others, including his rookie season, which caused the Alonso fall-out. Vettel has obeyed them v Webber, Ricciardo and LeClerc and I can only remember Malaysia '13 when he didn't.

 

I cant remember the last time Hamilton or Vettel disobeyed a team order. Probably the benefit of both being the number 1!

 

Vettel multi 21 I assume is Malaysia?

 

Hamilton obeyed Monaco 2007 as well when told not to pressure Alonso.

 

Monaco? lol

 

Vettel definitely refused to allow Ricciardo past at some point in 2014.

I recall his radio response to being told he was holding up Daniel was "Tough Luck".

 

you mean in China, where he subsequently let him pass at the first corner the following lap?
Not quite my idea of refusing team orders, but there's no surprise the british media made a little highlight of it, much like they forgot about Brundle talking about Webber disliking the new front wing just prior to Vettel breaking his and Webber crying in their camera.

 

Went back to find a video and I doubt it. Looks to me like Ricciardo just overtook him and Vettel made a mistake. If was letting him past he'd do it on a straight, not by going wide and putting himself onto the marbles.

 

yeah, of course it was a mistake, it was coincidences that it happened on the lap following the request and at the best place for both to keep their lap times.
No surprise really, it's quite typical anti Vettel bias.

 

to be fair, it was highly likely a mistake. he is quite prone to them...........