Times F1 team-mates were not equal – car changes and team orders

Williams has made the decision to put Albon into Sargeant’s car for the remainder of the weekend after the British-Thai driver suffered a big crash at Turn 6 in Melbourne.

Albon’s car was damaged beyond repair and the team does not have a spare chassis, meaning it can only run one car for the rest of the weekend.

Sergeant has said it is the “hardest moment” of his F1 career, with team principal James Vowles praising the American “for his graceful acceptance, demonstrating his dedication to the team; he is a true team player”.

It’s not the first time a team has chosen one driver over the other, making for some dramatic F1 moments.

Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel – Front wing swap (2010)

Red Bull faced controversy in 2010 when Christian Horner made the decision to remove Mark Webber’s new front wing and give it to Sebastian Vettel for qualifying at the British GP. Horner said it was a “difficult decision” to prioritise Vettel over Webber in the hopes of keeping the German’s third place position in the championship.

Red Bull had two of the upgraded front wings, and one was damaged when it suddenly detached itself from Vettel’s car during the final practice session. This left just one newly-designed front wing for the two cars, and a decision was made to fit it to the German’s RB6 based on Vettel’s practice performance.

Vettel took pole position in qualifying ahead of his team-mate and when asked about the situation, he said: “I think the team is happy with the result today”. Webber was left furious by the decision and entered immediate talks with the team to clarify his position, although Horner attempted to play down the decision, saying: “We are more together as a team than we have ever been.”

Webber told the press that he “would never have signed a contract for next year” had he known that the team would have made those decisions, adding that he was “disappointed” but would “keep doing what I am doing”. Webber went on to win the British GP, ahead of team-mate Vettel in seventh, and reacted over team radio saying: “Not bad for a number two driver” before adding, “I don’t want any favouritism; just a fair deal”.

Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher – First place swap (2002)

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari

Photo by: Motorsport Images

During the 2002 Austrian GP Ferrari…