Red Bull billionaire and team owner Dietrich Mateschitz says he would prefer his drivers to finish second, rather than use team-orders to manipulate the results and finish first.
The Austrian is referring to Ferrari’s use of team-orders in Hockenheim earlier this year, when they ordered Felipe Massa to let Fernando Alonso through.
If they hadn’t of done so, Alonso would be just a single points ahead of Webber, rather than eight.
“We don’t manipulate things like Ferrari do. The whole world condemned them after what they did in Hockenheim,” he told Kliene Zeitung.
“But we have turned out to look like idiots because we have not acted in this way. But we have never even thought about it as long as both our drivers remain in the hunt for the Championship.
“So a second place under correct circumstances might be better than a win on grounds of orders and confirmations,” he added.
With the team taking the contructors’ title, Mateschitz is confident his drivers will do it next season if they don’t manage it this year.
“I predict a Hollywood ending, with the worst case scenario we don’t become Champion.
“We’ll do it next year. But our philosophy stays the same because this is sport and it must remain sport.”
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