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Allowing team orders won't ruin racing - Webber

Mark Webber says allowing team orders will not affect racing © Getty Images

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• FIA returns team orders to Formula One
  

• Drivers:
• Mark Webber

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• Red Bull

Mark Webber thinks that lifting the ban on team orders will not affect fans' enjoyment of Formula One in 2011.

"People shouldn't get too nervous about it," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "They're not going to see it every weekend."

The FIA has decided to lift the ban for 2011 after Ferrari's team strategy at Hockenheim this year showed that enforcement is difficult and controversial. Webber said that fans need not worry about the decision as many teams have run something approaching team orders in recent years.

"I think the Ferrari one was pretty brutal and that's as bad as it gets," he said. "When you've got two drivers driving for a team and you can swing the results around every now and again to help the team achieve a better result ... it has been done in the past, it's been done up and down the field. I've done it myself at times. I've been on the receiving end of it and done it as well in teams I've driven for in the past."

This year Webber's Red Bull team was quite outspoken against team orders, although he did suspect it was favouring team-mate Sebastian Vettel at times. However, he said that the infighting had not been as serious as the media had made out and that he had never really considered leaving the team.

"I knew as a team we could go through growing pains this year and go forward from it," said Webber. "So it never went through my mind that I needed to go somewhere else."

During the interview, however, Webber did admit that most F1 drivers secretly covet a Ferrari seat.

"I will take each year as it comes," he said. "Contract time always comes around and you're either wanted or you're not. Let's see what happens in 2012. I still need to want to do it. What's really important is that you finish on top of your game. I don't want to be beaten by some guys who I don't think should [beat me]."

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